The Fire and Rescue Services have issued directions for preventing accidents during Attukal Pongala on March 7.
In a statement here on Tuesday, Fire and Rescue Services Director General B. Sandhya urged women offering Pongala to light the brick hearths for making the offerings very carefully and inspect their surroundings. Only cotton clothes should be worn; clothes made of synthetic fibres that can catch fire swiftly should be avoided.
Attention should be paid to the edges of saris and dupattas (shawls) so that these did not come in contact with the flame, she said. In case the clothes caught fire, instead of running in panic, it would be advisable to roll on the ground to douse the flames quickly. People around could also use thick cloth to douse the fire. Pour cold water on the burn and summon an ambulance.
Objects such as sanitiser, body spray, wood or kindling, bags, etc. that could catch fire quickly should not be kept near the hearths.
There should be a safe distance between the hearths and pongala should be offered in places such as open grounds where people faced one another in rows. Way of fire trucks and ambulances should not be blocked.
Children should be kept away from the Pongala hearths. A distance of at least 3ft from the hearth should be maintained as a kid-free zone.
After the Pongala, devotees should ensure before they leave the premises that the fire in the hearth was completely doused.
Pongala hearths should not be set up near petrol pumps, electric generators, parked vehicles, advertisement boards, trees with dry branches, temporary constructions, or compounds walls that could pose a danger.
With the threat of sunstroke looming large with temperature rising above 35 degree Celsius, devotees should take care not to get sunburnt. If they felt any discomfort, the help of the medical team should be sought.
In case of emergency, call 101 to summon the Fire and Rescue Services.
Attention should be paid to loose contact in electric wires or extension cables used for ornamental lighting or in generators running on fuel, and loss of insulation covering. Fire extinguishers should be kept handy. Sale of hydrogen balloons in the festival area could lead to a fire outbreak.
Commercial establishments should move inflammables such as fuel, wood, gas cylinders, charcoal grill, and popcorn machines away from places where Pongala hearths would likely be set up.
