Prayagraj Mahakumbh 2001, which I was IGP, was the first Kumbh of this millennium and was completely free from any untoward incident. Kumbh or Mahakumbh is celebrated every 12 years at four different places of the country. Prayagraj is the most important among them, where there is a confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and invisible Saraswati. It is also called Triveni.
On these occasions, huge gathering is collected at these places located on the banks of rivers. Devotees bathe in these holy rivers. During the bath, all the distinctions of creed, color, age, sect, area etc. are erased. Such circles are popularly called fair. Aquarius is basically a fair fair; Only a few are focused on publicity and glitter.
Very detailed arrangements are made for the smooth movement and safety of millions of pilgrims. The success of these systems depends on the balance of people’s aspirations, beliefs and their safety and the imperatives of easy movement of moving in the holy area. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the dynamics of the ecosistum as a whole.
At the moment we will talk about Prayagraj Kumbh. Then what are the aspirations, desires and destinations of the people? These Hindu mythology relate to the story of sea churning by gods and asuras, popularly called Samudra Manthan. The Amrit Kalash obtained in this process, called Amrit Kalash/Kumbh, was taken away by the gods. The Asuras protested. In the struggle that followed, drops of nectar fell in four places.
Thus these places became holy and became the site of Kumbh every 12 years. From astrological point of view, when the constellations of some planets are similar to the original time, Aquarius occurs. The position of Sun and Jupiter is the most important. It is a strong belief of Hindus that bathing in rivers on these auspicious occasions fulfills double objectives: washing your sins and attaining salvation. For this primary purpose, they come to the site to take millions of holy baths. This is the biggest challenge here.
Inspired by intense desire, the crowd wants to bathe at the same holy place and at the same time. The purpose of all arrangements is to regulate them to bathe smoothly and safely. Since Aquarius lasts for about 45 days and there are 6 main bathing days, it becomes a long program that requires very detailed arrangements.
The main challenges are:
1. Security
2. Cleanliness/Public Health
3. Smarting and safe movement of pilgrims
4. Easy transport
These challenges are not limited to just a week or fair period. These begin when the fair preparations begin after the rain. And, they grow slowly. All the people concerned have to be vigilant constantly and do not have any kind of negligence. As mentioned above, detailed arrangements are made by incorporating all aspects and various standard operational procedures are prepared. However, the main challenge is mob management.
On the occasion of this millennium before and completely on the occasion of accident -free Mahakumbh 2001, we prepared the central guide principle for mob management. The theme of which was that according to time and place, devotees should operate (restriction) in installments. All emergency/casual plans were prepared accordingly. Additional bathing ghats were prepared in the upper part of the Ganges river and people were persuaded to bathe there because bathing in the Ganges anywhere in the confluence area is considered as auspicious as in the real confluence. Although it had limited attraction, it still reduced the burden at the confluence, real confluence. These additional ghats also served as a casual bathing area in terms of turn from the main area. In fact, the same appeal was made by officials, CM and even religious heads after the stampede on 29 January.
From this point of view, traffic in the fair area can also be reduced. The confluence of Ganga and Yamuna is known as Sangam Noj. This is the center of Kumbh Mela. This is the place where everyone wants to bathe. Here the double objective of holy bath is fulfilled. Therefore, there is a lot of crowd at this place. The large part is in the possession of the akharas taking royal/nectar. In the remaining place, people have to stop going into the Yamuna water because the river is very deep. Apart from this, some camps have also been set up in this area. Thus, the area for bathing at the confluence has reduced considerably. Thus, Sangam Noj becomes the center of all arrangements. Therefore, it should be closely and constant monitoring. The implementation of various emergency plans for mob management depends on this.
This time there was a mistake between vigilance and surveillance and stampede. It seems that the officials present on the spot could not assess the situation properly and the crowd started growing. As a result, emergency plans could not apply on time. The entire outline and arrangements of the fair depend to a large extent on the stream of the Ganges, which is stable only after the rain. This section is unexpected. However, the section of the Yamuna river remains the same, stable and deep. The area should be managed in such a way that the Sangam beach should be kept as clean as possible. People talk strictly. There is also a limit to strictness on such occasions, especially on emotional occasions.
At least active people do not tolerate strictness more than a limit. Yes, reactively, any kind of strictness is usually accepted. This year many strict steps have been taken after the stampede: the fair area has been made a no vehicle zone, VIP passes have been withdrawn, One Way Movement has been implemented etc. It seems that everyone has accepted these strict measures. These are clearly visible in Vasant Panchami bath on 3 February. Strong structural measures including strong inhibitors are very helpful in such situations.
This time the crowd has obviously been more. However, it would be an exaggeration to tell it around 40 crores. We should be prudent and avoid falling into such hyper computing practices. The fair area is only 4000 hectares which is equal to 10 thousand acres. And, this entire area is not for the movement of pilgrims. Every such big event has its myths, legends and beliefs. They have their own marketing methods. This year it has happened that such moments have come only after 144 years. Therefore, almost everyone wants to drink nectar while living because no person can survive for 144 years!
Even in 2001, this moment came after several hundred years. Also, this was the first Aquarius of this millennium! This year, one aspect which should be fully appreciated was the management after the incident. It was fantastic in which every stakeholder cooperated and quick and coordinated action made the situation normal. It is okay to use and talk about advanced technology, drones and AIs etc., but they only provide assistance to the authorities and cannot replace them. It would be appropriate to stay on time-tested administrative practices and take active measures, although sometimes it can be unpleasant.