Space agency designs portal for crowd control at Kumbh
DEHRADUN: In a bid to manage the crowd at upcoming Mahakumbh in Haridwar through satellite imagery, Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC) developed a geographic information system (GIS) mapping-based portal.
The portal, that will cover about 160 sq km area of the Mahakumbh known as mela area, will provide real-time information to the authorities on movement or concentration of crowd to manage them, said officials.
MPS Bisht, director USAC said, “The system using GIS mapping is the first of its kind to be used in the management of any of the Mahakumbhs in the country.”
Bisht said, “Under the mechanism developed, we created a base map of the mela area covering an area of about 161 sq km. It was done by 15 students of geology in Garhwal Central University by collecting the data on the ground which includes locations of camping site, sewer lines, medical facilities, toilets and other basic amenities for the pilgrims.”
He said that after collecting the data it was then integrated with the satellite imagery to provide real-time data to the authorities.
The USAC director said that under the system, there would also be a mobile application for the pilgrims which would help them avail various facilities without much hassles.
“Using the application, they could get real-time information on the crowd concentration on ghats. Similarly, they could also see the water level on the ghats and decide accordingly on taking the bath,” said Bisht.
He added that the “easy to use” application will also help the pilgrims on the location of various important basic amenities such as lodging and transportation.
“As we have included the information about the hotels and lodges in the application, the pilgrims can know about the availability of rooms. They could also know about the nearest taxi stand or bus stops,” said Bisht.
Bisht said that as per plans, the GIS portal was to cover all the 41 sectors in which the mela area has been divided into. “But following the Covid-19 pandemic, the portal would likely cover only about 21 sectors as authorities are expecting less crowd than expected,” said Bisht. He added, “The whole effort is to make use of the best possible available technology to manage the Mahakumbh.”