The Karnataka High Court has issued sweeping general directions to the State government to establish a comprehensive public safety hazard detection and response mechanism, designed to digitally ensure that such dangers once reported are not lost in administrative limbo.
The public safety hazards would include trees, damaged roads, open manholes, blocked drains, exposed electrical installations, unsafe construction, encroachments, or any condition capable of causing death or serious injury, the court said.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj issued directions in his 353-page verdict on a petition granting ₹2.77 crore compensation to one Chandan G., who was paralysed after a tree branch fell on him while he was walking on a public road in Bengaluru two years ago. The 70-page directions on public safety hazard contain 52 main directions and several sub-clauses under each direction, with totally around 380 sub-clauses.
The court also directed the State government to use existing public transport buses, garbage collection vehicles, inspection vehicles, municipal vehicles, and police and traffic vehicles fitted with cameras to identify visible public safety hazards.
Every participating vehicle and camera must be registered in the system, with certification details, installation date, and periodic recertification, and cameras must be directed toward public roads and surroundings, not private premises, the court said, while stating that every image or video must automatically record date, time, and geographical location.
The court noted that the difficulty in most cases is not the absence of statutory power, but the failure to identify, record, assess urgency, and ensure action when responsibility is divided between departments, contractors, utilities, or private owners.
The court said that information regarding any public safety hazard enters through a common digital mechanism, even if originating from different departments. Every report or detection must receive a unique identification number with date and time of receipt, and must remain traceable from initial report until final closure.
This mechanism, the court said, must accept information from citizens, police, municipal field staff, public transport personnel, utility staff, contractors, schools, hospitals, resident associations, and fire services, and citizens should be permitted to submit photographs, videos, and location data.
Every significant public asset must progressively be assigned a unique digital asset ID, recording location, ownership, responsible authority, contractor details, warranty, complaints, repairs, and expenditure, the court said, adding that this ensures that when a hazard is detected, the system can identify not merely the location but also the authority or contractor responsible for addressing it.
Suggesting a possible hazard identification and analysis through artificial intelligence (AI), the court said that the AI report must be verified by a designated field officer and classified into four categories — emergency, high risk, medium risk, and routine.
The court prescribed that the response time for emergency should be within four to 24 hours; for high risk within 24 hours; medium risk within 72 hours; and for routine, seven to 30 days. An emergency should not be placed in the ordinary administrative queue, the court clarified.
The mechanism, the court said, could be implemented in phases. Phase 1 for preparation; Phase 2 for Bengaluru city; Phase 3 for major cities including Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Davangere, and Ballari; and Phase 4 for State-wide implementation, to be completed in six months.
Four-tier governance panel — apex committee, mission directorate, local committee, and local cell for monitoring.
Three-level grievance appeal mechanism for challenging detections, attribution, or penalties.
Special monsoon, night, and disaster operating modes for increased public safety risks.
Civic infrastructure health index and ease of walking score to be progressively developed.
Periodic public reporting every six months on hazards reported, verified, and rectified.
Cost of vehicle cameras ordinarily borne by vehicle-owning entities; aggregators may include it in licensing.
