Maha Kumbh Mela, which has been happening at Prayagyraj, Uttar Pradesh this year, has attracted crowds from various regions to the religious event. Being Mauni Amavasya millions of people tried to reach Sangam leading to a Stampede-like situation. This caused the death of more than 30 people and also injured many. The Uttar Pradesh government has announced certain key changes to be followed to prevent such incidents in the future.

Special Officers Appointed

To ensure further safety, the state has also appointed special officers experienced in handling grand events. IAS officers Ashish Goyal and Bhanu Goswami have been directed to reach Pragyaraj immediately. Both of them have experience handling the 2019 Maha event Ardh Kumbh along with Vijay Kiran. During that time Goswami served as the District Magistrate and Vice Chairman of the Kumbh Mela authority. Goyal was the commissioner of Allahabad by then who looked into the management. Adding to the above-mentioned measures, 5 special secretary-rank officers have been appointed to look after the Kumbh Mela operations.

Chief Minister’s Immediate Response

Following the tragic situation, CMYogi Adityanathhas issued several guidelines on crowd control, traffic management, and inter-departmental coordination. He has also ordered the Chief Secretary and the Director General of the Police to look after arrangements made for the Kumbh Mela once again. He also conducted a late-night video conference with the concerned officials from various districts including Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mirzapur, Basti, Jaunpur, and Rae Bareli, among others.

Crowd Management

As many people are waiting in the railway station to board the trains to their respective places, CM Yogi Adityanath has instructed the officials to coordinate with the rail authorities to ensure a smooth departure. Additional buses have also been requested for the devotees’ smooth return journey. Holding areas have been set up in important places to manage the crowd. The devotees will be permitted to proceed only after checking if the situation is under control. Arrangements for food, drinking water, anduninterrupted electricity supply have been provided for the comfort of the people. Increased patrolling and streamlined traffic have been mandated on the major routes leading to Prayagraj by the state government.

Relief Measures

CM Yogi Adityanath has announced a relief amount of Rs 25 lakhs for the families of the deceased who died in the stampede-like situation at Maha Kumbh.