(Image source from: Thedailyguardian.com)
In an effort to prevent a similar tragedy from taking place, the state government imposed stricter measures the day after a reported stampede that took place in the Sangam region of the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. As a result, 30 people lost their lives and about 60 others were injured. There are now five new rules, one which includes a vehicle ban for the entire fair zone. Due to these changes, an even greater effort is being made to mitigate events such as these from happening in the first place. The stampede was reportedly caused by some pilgrims pushing against a queue barricade in order to access the water faster, thus the Ex D.M. Kumbh Mela, Vaibhav Krishna, suggests that this may have been the cause of the stampede as well. Due to these measures, it is expected that the overall number of devotees attending the Mela will be controlled. However, non-pass designated vehicles will no longer be permitted to enter the fair in any of the five continents. The vehicle ban will also be applied to other municipalities. Suppression of the vehicle congestion through allowing entry from particular vehicles such as caravans from surrounding districts will hopefully resolve this issue.
In order to enhance crowd management initiatives, IAS officials Ashish Goyal and Bhanu Goswami have been instructed to travel to Prayagraj without delay. Both administrators were instrumental in effectively overseeing the 2019 Ardh Kumbh alongside Vijay Kiran. At that time, Bhanu Goswami held the positions of District Magistrate and Vice Chairman of the Kumbh Mela Authority, while Ashish Goyal acted as the Commissioner of Allahabad, managing the event's coordination. Moreover, five officers with the rank of special secretary, who have experience in managing significant events, have been designated to support the Maha Kumbh operations. In the wake of the stampede, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath released several directives aimed at crowd control, traffic regulation, and inter-departmental collaboration. The Chief Minister mandated a review of the Maha Kumbh preparations by the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP). The Additional Director General and the District Magistrate of Prayagraj have been tasked with guaranteeing the safe and orderly exit of all pilgrims from the city.
During a video conference held late at night, Mr. Adityanath spoke to high-ranking police officials and representatives from various districts such as Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mirzapur, Basti, Jaunpur, and Rae Bareli, among others. As many worshippers gathered at train stations in Prayagraj getting ready to head home, Mr. Adityanath urged the officials to work in close collaboration with railway management. The Transport Corporation has been instructed to provide extra buses to manage the increased volume of passengers. Holding zones have been established at border checkpoints to alleviate the crowding within the fairgrounds. Worshippers will only be allowed to move forward when conditions are favorable. The state government has promised that these locations will be equipped with sufficient food, clean drinking water, and continuous power supply.
Enhanced policing and organized traffic management have been ordered on key routes approaching Prayagraj, which include those from Ayodhya, Kanpur, Fatehpur, Lucknow, Pratapgarh, and Varanasi. A three-member judicial commission has been formed to look into the factors contributing to the stampede. This commission consists of Justice Harsh Kumar, former Director General VK Gupta, and retired IAS officer VK Singh. Besides the judicial inquiry, the Chief Minister has declared a financial compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased.
