Things go wrong when there are flaws in established protocols, or if events occur that break through the guard-rails. A high-level inquiry has been ordered into the stampede that took place at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, claiming 18 lives, mostly women and children. The large crowd at the station at the site of the incident is being attributed to Mahakumbh pilgrims, as well as a last-minute announcement about change in the platforms for arrival of trains. The actual facts will become known, hopefully, after the inquiry is concluded. The nation will learn whether the tragedy occurred due to human failure or an unprecedented sequence of events.
It is an undoubted fact that the Railways are an institution with a long record of crowd management, but the question arises whether the practices have been upgraded to meet the challenges of the present. Is the infrastructure even in modern railway stations like that of New Delhi up to the required standards and designed to handle sudden surges in passenger numbers? Often, human errors occur when not enough autonomy or powers are provided to staff on the ground. Or, if there is centralised management and the system fails to function.
It must be noted that crowd surges have become a frequently occurring challenge in the country, not just at Mahakumbh time. The presence of a popular film star at a sports event, or the premier of a movie, has caused stampedes in recent times. The reason is the increase in the participation of people in public events owing to greater spending power. The nation’s population has grown, and it is now becoming manifest in the numbers that gather, for whatever reason. Despite the focus on infrastructure development, it is clear that the carrying capacity remains challenged. Quite obviously, the design element has to be accordingly upgraded with a futuristic approach and suitable engineering.
If, in the case of the railway station crowd crush, it is found that there have been systemic failures, or wrong policies have been adopted by management, the responsibility will lie with the higher officials. With over four hundred million people on the move, the Railways managed to cope, thus far, with the arrangements put in place. Sadly, this one incident has undone the credit for all that effort. There will also be political consequences and a hyped-up blame game, but that cannot be avoided. It is important, however, to learn the necessary lessons so that there is no recurrence in the future.
