By Krishika dinesh Rathod
A day after 30 people were killed and 60 more injured in a pre-dawn stampede at the Sangam section of the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, the state government has implemented strict precautions to prevent such tragedies. The administration has made five big modifications, including making the whole fairgrounds a no-vehicle zone.
The terrible incident occurred on Wednesday, as millions of pilgrims rushed to enter the waters for a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya, one of the most auspicious days of the Kumbh Mela.
According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Maha Kumbh, Vaibhav Krishna, the stampede was caused by pilgrims rushing over barricades in an attempt to reach the sacred waters.
Here are the 5 key changes:
Complete No-Vehicle Zone: All cars are not allowed to enter the Maha Kumbh fair area. However, Ravindra Kumar Mandar, District Magistrate of Prayagraj, confirmed that vehicle restrictions will not be applied on January 31, February 1, or February 4.
VVIP Passes Cancelled: No special passes will be accepted for vehicle access, removing any exceptions.
One-Way Routes Implemented: A one-way traffic system has been put in place to help devotees travel more efficiently.
Vehicle Entry Restrictions: To ease congestion, vehicles arriving from Prayagraj’s bordering districts are being blocked at district borders.
Strict Restrictions: On February 2 and 3, a diversion strategy will be adopted for the Basant Panchami snan (holy bath).
IAS officers Ashish Goyal and Bhanu Goswami have been ordered to travel to Prayagraj as soon as possible in order to bolster crowd management measures. Together with Vijay Kiran, both bureaucrats played an important part in the smooth management of the 2019 Ardh Kumbh. During the festival, Bhanu Goswami was the District Magistrate and Vice Chairman of the Kumbh Mela Authority, and Ashish Goyal was the Commissioner of Allahabad, in charge of management.
In addition, five special secretary-level officers with past expertise managing large-scale events have been deployed to help with Maha Kumbh operations.