India, Oct. 15 -- In the final week of September, a woman slipped from her chair mid-air on a Ferris wheel at a Ramlila fair in west Delhi, dangling precariously as the ride continued to spin. There were no safety belts. A few days later, a man was almost thrown off a "Columbus" swing in Rohini after it nearly flipped over. And in April, a 24-year-old woman lost her life when she fell from the "Top Spin" ride at a fair in southwest Delhi's Kapashera.

These are not isolated accidents but symptoms of a deeper problem - highlighting the vacuum of regulation that governs Delhi-NCR's festive season fairs. Every year, as Dussehra and Diwali melas light up open grounds across the city, with hundreds of makeshift amusement rides - Ferris wheels,...