NEW DELHI: Between 2020 and 2024, nearly 33,000 people died across the country in incidents involving building collapses, fires and falls into pits and manholes, according to govt data. Most of these deaths occurred in urban areas, pointing to serious gaps in civic governance and enforcement of safety regulations.The actual numbers will be significantly higher as data on road deaths within municipal limits – many on account of potholes – and those due to contaminated water are unavailable.
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The data taken from reports by National Crime Records Bureau indicate that thousands of deaths every year are linked to accidents that are largely preventable and often occur due to poor upkeep of public infrastructure, unsafe buildings and non-compliance with safety regulations.While recent incidents in Delhi have caught the attention of people, instances of parts of Gurgaon and Delhi getting flooded and accumulation of piles of garbage are clear indicators of how municipal governance has deteriorated.“Every corporator or councillor, municipal officer and mayor needs to take responsibility. ,” said former urban development secretary M Ramachandran.Experts and former officials who have worked in the sector also stressed that govt’s push for ease of construction and deregulation must follow a balanced approach. “The distinction between deregulating to increase economic activity and deregulation that leads to collapse of civic order is a fine one and has been lost in the rush to deregulate everything. Officers are unable to draw the line and have stopped attending to routine work under the guise of deregulation. An important side-effect has been de-skilling as they are no longer able to decide and act,” an expert said.