Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 29 Jul: Chief Secretary (CS) Anand Bardhan chaired a high-level meeting at the Secretariat here today to review the security arrangements and crowd management at the state’s prominent religious sites. The meeting was attended by senior officials including Director General of Police (DGP) Deepam Seth and Principal Secretary, Home, RK Sudhanshu. The review meeting was held in view of the Chief Minister’s direction to tighten crowd management at various temples across the state following the latest stampede at Mansa Devi in Haridwar.
Bardhan announced that Divisional Commissioners would act as nodal officers in charge of implementing robust security and crowd-control measures at these locations. He also announced that various experts specialising in crowd management would soon conduct thorough surveys at key religious destinations.
During the meeting, the CS asserted that there would be zero tolerance for any lapses in security or crowd management at the religious sites, and underlined the necessity of identifying all religious sites across Uttarakhand that are especially vulnerable to overcrowding during auspicious occasions, festivals, or daily worship. He emphasised that both immediate and long-term measures are to be implemented at these locations to proactively prevent mishaps. Recent legal developments have underscored the urgency of the issue, with the courts urging the administration to submit detailed crowd management and evacuation plans as part of legal proceedings.
Bardhan also ordered prompt action for the removal of encroachments and the widening of roads which serve as routes to the temples and the shrines. He also stressed on sustained drives to clear public areas, a point repeatedly highlighted in litigation over obstructed and unsafe approaches to religious sites. He also recommended use of modern technology, including digital surveillance and real-time crowd counting systems for effective management of crowds. Furthermore, he directed that designated holding areas be earmarked along these routes, where devotees can be halted in the event of excessive gatherings.
The CS further directed preparation of a comprehensive route and circulation plan for each religious site, by asserting that it is critical to ensure proper measures are in place so as devotees’ safety is not compromised and to ensure an immediate emergency response. In anticipation of substantial pilgrim turnouts, it is imperative, as per Bardhan, to halt devotees at predetermined locations as a preventive measure. The Chief Secretary also called for the development of systems using advanced technology to accurately estimate the number of devotees present and to organise all requisite physical and technological arrangements for the same.
Giving priority to the most frequented temples, it was decided during the meeting that in the initial phase, experts would focus their analysis on Mansa Devi, Chandi Devi, Neelkanth, Kainchi Dham and Purnagiri temples. The local district administration and stakeholders have been directed to extend full cooperation to the expert teams. These teams have been asked to meticulously evaluate the site areas, examining both civil engineering and technical aspects crucial for crowd control, appropriate evacuation routes, identification of bottlenecks, and the formulation of effective crowd regulation strategies. The experts would prepare Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and detailed plans for holding areas to streamline the movement and safety of pilgrims.
Also present physically or virtually at the meeting were Secretaries Shailesh Bagoli, Dhiraj Singh Garbyal, Inspector General, Garhwal, Rajiv Swaroop, and Commissioner, Kumaon, Deepak Rawat (through video conferencing).
