Holding areas, barricades key to crowd management

As Prayagraj braces for the biggest congregation on earth for Mauni Amavasya on Wednesday, when 8 to 10 crore faithful are expected to converge on the Sangam for a holy dip, managing crowd through 'holding areas' across the city will be the key to ensure an incident-free mega event.

- Pawan Dixit

MAHAKUMBH NAGAR: As Prayagraj braces for the biggest congregation on earth for Mauni Amavasya on Wednesday, when 8 to 10 crore faithful are expected to converge on the Sangam for a holy dip, managing crowd through 'holding areas' across the city will be the key to ensure an incident-free mega event.

"Crowd safety, security and surveillance will be a challenge on Mauni Amavasya, when pilgrims take a holy dip, believing that they will be free from sins and cycle of birth and rebirth," said a senior official of the state government.

Mahakumbh Nagar, spread over 4000 hectares, is divided into 25 sectors. For efficient crowd management, holding areas have been created in all the sectors, where officials will hold back pilgrims till the crowd pressure eases on the banks of Ganga.

"To regulate movement of crowd, holding areas have been designated. Till we get a green light to allow pilgrims to move, they will stay in this holding area," said Udit Panwar, sector magistrate (sector 2), Mahakumbh Nagar.

The capacity of each holding area varies according to its location. In Mahakumbh Nagar, stationary and movable barricades have also been set up to streamline crowd.

"These barricades will be shifted to make way for pilgrims in case crowd pressure increases at a specific location," said another official.

In case of overcrowding in a particular sector, pilgrims will be diverted towards less crowded sectors. "The main mantra is to control the inflow of crowd, regulate their movement and control the outflow of pilgrims from bathing ghats," said a senior official.