Dahi Handi fears: At least five below 14 years injured last year

High court order bans those below 14 to be part of human pyramids

MUMBAI: While the Bombay high court (HC) had last year, agreeing on a government proposal, said those below 14 years of age cannot be allowed to be a part of the human pyramid, a Right to Information (RTI) query found that out of those injured during the festivities in 2017, at least five were below 14 years.

The information was obtained by Swati Patil, secretary of Utkarsh Mahila Samajik Sanstha, who was one of the petitioners when the HC in 2016 restricted the height of the dahi handis to 20 feet and the age limit for participants to 18 years. She found that across 15 hospitals in Mumbai and Thane, at least five children below the set age limit were injured.

However, when HT tried to contact one of the civic hospitals where a case was reported, we

didn’t receive a response from them. The Dahi Handi Samanvay Samiti (DHSS), the umbrella body of mandals, however, denied any participation of children below 14 years.

“We have been following the order issued by the HC, and will stick to it this year too. No children below the age of 14 are a part of the Govinda Pathaks,” said Arun Patil, executive president, DHSS.

Despite the safety guidelines, last year two people died, while 117 others were injured in the festivities.

“I will monitor the situation this year and will file a case soon regarding last year’s negligence,” said Patil. The state had assured the HC they would ensure children below 14 years did not climb the pyramid.