The Tragedy at Maha Kumbh

Managing a crowd of tens of millions is a tall task, but better planning was needed to prevent Wednesday's stampede deaths

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It is tragic that at least 30 people died in a pre-dawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela ahead of the ritual Mauni Amavasya bath. The Kumbh in Prayagraj, which takes place once in 12 years, is an important event in the sacred calendar of devout Hindus and tens of millions take the dip at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati at Prayagraj. The government estimated that over 400 million people would visit the Maha Kumbh over two months, and 100 million on the six "shahi snan" (holy dip) days. Numbers of this magnitude would have, undoubtedly, stretched the best of infrastructure. And no amount of advice could have influenced the devout to stay home in this atmosphere of intense religiosity; in fact, the government's move to fervently publicise the event and improve t