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The tragedy at Maha Kumbh

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Jan 29, 2025 08:34 PM IST

Managing a crowd of tens of millions is a tall task, but better planning can prevent a repeat of Wednesday’s stampede

It is tragic that at least 30 people died in a pre-dawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela ahead of the ritual Mauni Amavasya bath. The Kumbh in Prayagraj, which takes place once in 12 years, is an important event in the sacred calendar of devout Hindus and tens of millions take the dip at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati at Prayagraj. The government estimated that over 400 million people would visit the Maha Kumbh over two months, and 100 million on the six “shahi snan” (holy dip) days. Numbers of this magnitude would have, undoubtedly, stretched the best of infrastructure. And no amount of advice could have influenced the devout to stay home in this atmosphere of intense religiosity; in fact, the government’s move to fervently publicise the event and improve travel and lodging facilities for pilgrims resulted in a surge in the number of visitors to the Sangam.

Indian Hindu devotees arrive for a holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers, on the eve of the 'Mauni Amavasya' or new moon day during the Maha Kumbh festival, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) (AP)
Indian Hindu devotees arrive for a holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers, on the eve of the ‘Mauni Amavasya’ or new moon day during the Maha Kumbh festival, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) (AP)

The tragedy occurred in the early hours, between 1am and 2am, and though there was a frenzied rescue operation, no death and injury numbers were released till late evening — even as families waited desperately for news of their loved ones. Through the day, the statements from the administration spoke only of “several injured”, coupled with figures of how tens of million had bathed on the holy day. It appeared that, until 7pm, the state machinery was in denial mode about the stampede, forgetting that transparency is crucial for good management.

As Wednesday’s tragedy suggests, there is much scope for improving crowd management at the Kumbh — for instance, by streamlining the pilgrim flow on special days. One move may be to ensure that pilgrims bathe at any of the ghats spread over the vast area, rather than at the nose of the Sangam itself.

The Maha Kumbh is no doubt a miracle in crowd management, considering the scale of the inflow of pilgrims. It has always been both a holy congregation and a spectacle, which attracts politicians and public figures, as well as those seeking their moment in the sun. But the story of needless loss of lives at the Kumbh is not new. Even 12 years ago at Prayagraj, 36 pilgrims died in a stampede at the railway station following the Mauni Amavasya “shahi snan”.

Over 40,000 personnel drawn from the UP Police and paramilitary forces are on duty at the Maha Kumbh, and there is no doubt that more personnel have to be deployed, and better planning is needed — using both ground resources and modern technology.

Three more “shahi snans” are scheduled before the Maha Kumbh gets over on February 26. The UP government must do better to prevent a repeat of Wednesday’s terrible tragedy.

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