Crowd Management in India: Lessons from Maha Kumbh and the New Delhi Stampede by News Drishti

Introduction

India is a land of diversity in terms of culture and festivals, which, in turn, witness world-renowned huge gatherings. Besides religious emotions seen during events like the Maha Kumbh Mela, from political rallies to concert events, the crowd control and management of large masses remain a crucial challenge. The recent stampede in New Delhi has once again revealed the paramount urgency for efficient crowd manageability. At News Drishti, we take a look at the lessons learned from these occasions and how the country can further upgrade its crowd management.

Maha Kumbh: A Case Study in Mass Crowd Management

One of the world's largest religious gatherings, the Maha Kumbh Mela, takes a place every twelve years, attracting over 100 million devotees. Considering the scale of the event, the authorities have strategized completely on the management of the massive influx of people. Measures such as:

• Crowd zoning in an overly strict manner in order to favor other areas against overcrowding

• AI and drones for never-before-seen real-time monitoring of crowds

• Deployment of thousands of security personnel and volunteers on the ground

• Entry and exit routes for the public, segregated from one another, were marked in order to help regulate the continued flow of movement

However, in the past several Kumbh Melas, incidents of stampede have occurred due to sudden panic or structural failure; having mismanagement as a secondary cause. Most painfully etched in the consciousness is a stampede during Kumbh 2013 at Allahabad railway station resulting in more than 36 deaths, which remains till today a stark reminder of the danger of overcrowding.

Obtaining or Gaining Control: A New Delhi Stampede

Contrastingly, the New Delhi stampede highlighted some clear failures in crowd management during another religious congregation. Eyewitnesses pointed to the absence of barricading, confusion about crowd dispersal, and poor deployment of police force. Once again, the horrible incident put up questions about the agencies' preparedness to deal with sudden influxes of people in India.

While News Drishti investigates, some other immediate areas of concern include:

• Real-time crowd analytics to foresee potential blockages

• Better coordination between police, local authorities, and event organizers

• Awareness campaigns to inform members of the public on safety measures

• More implementation of technology such as AI-based monitoring and facial recognition

The Way Forward

As events such as the Maha Kumbh 2025 come close, it has become very important for the Indian government to enhance infrastructural support for crowd management. Experts on the matter suggest joint ventures with nations abroad for better planning, also learning from models such as the Hajj pilgrimage management in Saudi Arabia, employing advanced RFID tracking systems and automated transport routes, to manage millions of pilgrims effectively.

At News Drishti, we feel religion and culture have their bind embedded in the heritage of India, but the safety of all such increasing faiths and culture gatherings should be prior to anything. The New Delhi stampede should have served as a wake-up call for the authorities regarding strong crowd management policies.

For more updates concerning public safety, event management, and disaster preparedness in India, stay connected to News Drishti.