Kumbh stampede: New arrangements after the tragedy

The Uttar Pradesh government has switched up its arrangements in Prayagraj a day after the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela killed at least 30 and injured at least 60 others on 29 January, Wednesday.

The chief minister announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the families of those who died.

Crores of devotees had descended on Sangam ghat for a holy dip on the Mauni Amavasya, one of the most auspicious days of the Kumbh Mela period, waiting for the auspicious muhurat between 1 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The government has said that the stampede was triggered by devotees pushing against the barricades in an attempt to reach the Sangam nose area. Following the tragedy, the state government decided on five key changes, which have been put into effect by the administration:

• Complete no-vehicle zone: Entry of all types of vehicles is strictly prohibited in the Maha Kumbh fair area.

• VVIP passes cancelled: No special passes will allow vehicle entry, eliminating any exceptions.

• One-way routes implemented: A one-way traffic system has been enforced to streamline the movement of devotees.

• Vehicle entry restricted: Vehicles arriving from neighbouring districts of Prayagraj are being stopped at the district borders to reduce congestion.

• Strict restrictions until 4 February: Entry of four-wheelers into the city is completely banned until this date.

To further strengthen crowd management efforts, IAS officers Ashish Goyal and Bhanu Goswami have been directed to reach Prayagraj immediately.

Both bureaucrats played a key role in successfully managing the 2019 Ardh Kumbh along with Vijay Kiran. During that event, Bhanu Goswami served as district magistrate and vice chairman of the Kumbh Mela Authority, while Ashish Goyal was the commissioner of Allahabad, overseeing the management.

Additionally, five special secretary-rank officers with previous experience in handling large-scale events have been assigned to assist with Maha Kumbh operations.

After the tragedy, the Yogi Adityanath administration issued new guidelines on crowd control, traffic management and inter-departmental coordination.

The stampede, while the worst mishap thus far, is hardly the only safety hazard the mela has seen this year.

On Sunday, 26 January, a big fire broke out due to a cylinder blast, engulfing 18 tents in Sector 19. No casualties were reported.

The chief minister has ordered a review of the Maha Kumbh arrangements by the chief secretary and director general of police (DGP) on Thursday, 30 January, with the next big snan day on Vasant Panchami, Sunday, 2 February. "Every aspect related to security and public convenience must be carefully examined to ensure seamless arrangements for Basant Panchami," he said.

He called on the incumbent ADG and the district magistrate of Prayagraj to ensure safe and smooth departure of every devotee.

In a late-night video conference, Adityanath addressed senior police officers and officials from multiple districts and instructed them to coordinate closely with rail authorities as well.

The Transport Corporation has been directed to deploy additional buses to accommodate the rush. The chief minister has reportedly instructed that there should be no traffic jams or people crowded in the roads of Pragayraj. This comes after Samajwadi Party chief and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav pointed out the 10 kilometre stretch of traffic backed up to a standstill on Bundelkhand Expressway.

Street vendors are being ordered to relocate to prevent traffic disruptions. Whether this will make food and drink less accessible.

However, the CM also stressed that visitors to the Mela should not face unnecessary restrictions while moving through the fairgrounds.

On Wednesday, the state government had announced a three-member judicial commission to investigate the causes of the stampede. The panel comprises justice Harsh Kumar, former director general V.K. Gupta and retired IAS officer V.K. Singh.

In light of the tragedy and the influx of devotees still on their way, the police in districts — including Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mirzapur, Basti, Jaunpur, Chitrakoot, Banda, Ambedkarnagar, Pratapgarh, Sant Kabir Nagar, Bhadohi, Rae Bareli and Gorakhpur — have been instructed to ensure crowd management and security, while district administration have been asked to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

Patrolling has been increased, especially on the Ayodhya–Prayagraj, Kanpur–Prayagraj, Fatehpur–Prayagraj, Lucknow–Pratapgarh–Prayagraj and Varanasi–Prayagraj routes.

Lakhs of the devotees visiting Maha Kumbh are also making a circuit of it, including darshans at Varanasi and Ayodhya. Some are going above and beyond to Chitrakoot and Mirzapur.

What is curious is it took the administration this long to have shored up these arrangements — despite knowing of the magnitude of events and likely pilgrim movement corridors.

Given that it took over 16 hours to count 30 dead bodies, this is surely not hospitality and tourism intelligence that emerged overnight.

So, is this just lip service to save face, or are there actual mitigation efforts?