KUMBH MELA

Over the years in Allahabad, during the Kumbh festivals — Ardh and Maha Kumbh — that come every 6 and 12 years respectively, has seen a sea of humanity converging at the banks of river Ganga. Despite the claims of authorities, the crowds during the last three Kumbhs have only swelled. According to an official estimates, around five crore pilgrims were in the city on the ‘Mauni Amavasya’ day on February 10. Lack of coordination between the administration and the railways resulted in collapse of an overbridge full with pilgrims. A stampede that followed left around 40 dead and dozens injured. There were also reports of dozens dying in a stampede in other places in the tent township that had come up for the Kumbh.

“Warnings do work but only with better management. And this was found lacking both at the railway station where pilgrims died. Ultimately, it's the administration which has to be on its toes to manage things,” says social activist Parvez Rizvi.

The then divisional commissioner Devesh Chaturvedi openly blamed the death on the railways while the railways blamed the administration on its failure to stop people heading en masse towards the station.

All this happened in the midst of a disaster management team from the central government camping in the city and an army of constabulary and officials manning the Sangam area with anti-terror, anti-mine squads and spotters requisitioned from terror-struck areas.