Authorities Focus on Security and Traffic Management Ahead of Kumbh Mela
Enhanced Safety Measures at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj
The administration is gearing up for another big day at the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. Several measures have been put in place for the safety of the devotees after a stampede killed 30 last month during ‘Amrit snaan’ or holy dip.
Transforming Prayagraj into a ‘No Vehicle Zone’
Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is taking place, has been turned into a ‘no vehicle zone’ ahead of the Maghi Purnima Snan which will mark the end of the Kalpvas period, a tradition central to the festival which began on January 13.
Kalpvas refers to the practice of living near a sacred river for a set period, adhering to fasting, self-discipline, introspection, and spiritual purification. Performing Kalpvas during the Maha Kumbh is considered auspicious. This year, more than 10 lakh devotees have undertaken Kalpavas at the Triveni Sangam – The point of confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical river Saraswati.
Medical Arrangements and Emergency Preparedness
A total of 133 ambulances have been deployed for the safety of devotees. Over 40 hospitals in Mahakumbhnagar are on high alert and 125 ambulances, seven river ambulances, and one air ambulance have been deployed.
High-tech arrangements from minor operations to major surgeries in every sector have been made at Maha Kumbh and 2,000 medical forces in Mahakumbhnagar and 700 at Swarooprani Nehru Hospital (SRN) are in high alert mode.
At least 200 units of blood banks are ready and at least 250 beds have been reserved in hospitals. In Mahakumbhnagar, a hospital with a capacity of 500 beds is ready and 30 expert doctors are deployed with 150 medical personnel from AYUSH Ministry. Experts from AIIMS Delhi and Banaras Hindu University will also be present.
Crowd and Traffic Management
At least 3 crore devotees are expected to take a holy dip on the 31st day of Maha Kumbh. This will be the fifth holy dip on this Maha Kumbh.
A heavy police deployment is being observed in the city, and cops are using drones to monitor the movement of traffic in different areas.
Several companies of the paramilitary forces, Rapid Action Forces, and UP Police are present to ensure the smooth movement of people.
Railways have made preparations similar to the ones made on Mauni Amavasya on January 29. One hundred and fifty special trains were running in the last three to four days, but there are preparations to run about 225 trains for Maghi Purnima.
Special Traffic Plan and Evacuation Strategy
To ensure the safe evacuation of the devotees from the area in case of any emergency, a special traffic plan will remain in place till the completion of the bathing ritual on Wednesday.
The special arrangements come amid reports of heavy traffic on the Maha Kumbh route. Thousands of devotees are heading to the area but are being forced to spend the night on the highway due to several kilometers-long traffic jams.
On Monday, thousands of devotees going to the Maha Kumbh were stranded on highways due to massive traffic jams, reportedly spanning 300 km.
Post-Stampede Safety Measures
Better crowd management measures were put in place after the stampede that killed 30 and injured 60 devotees on January 29. The Uttar Pradesh government enforced ‘Operation Eleven’ for the holy dip on ‘Basant Panchami’ on February 3.
The plan included a one-way traffic route for devotees and smooth movement on pontoon bridges. To prevent overcrowding at the Triveni ghats, additional police forces have been deployed, and barricades have been increased.