Imagine this: A flight is about to take off - boarding is about to start. Every passenger has got a ticket, a boarding pass. Their seats are fixed. Every passenger has got a fixed seat. Boarding announcement is made. Passengers are requested to follow the zone sequence as mentioned in the boarding pass. Yet, what do we see? People pounce on the gate. Not one, but one can see multiple queues forming up. Why do we behave so? Not only here but everywhere be it on roads, public places...
Stampedes in India are relatively common, particularly during large religious festivals where massive crowds gather in confined spaces with inadequate safety measures. These deadly crowd surges occur across the country and frequently make headlines.
A stampede is a disruption in the orderly movement of a crowd, often triggered by panic, a perceived danger, or an intense desire to attain something. The rapid and uncontrolled movement of people in such scenarios often leads to injuries and fatalities.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, from 2000 to 2013, nearly 2,000 people lost their lives due to stampedes in India. A 2013 study in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (IJDRR) highlighted that 79% of these incidents took place during religious gatherings and pilgrimages.
Key Aspects of Stampedes in India
1. Religious Festivals: Most stampedes occur during major Hindu festivals like the Kumbh Mela, where millions gather in confined spaces, making crowd control a significant challenge.
2. Poor Infrastructure: Inadequate facilities, narrow pathways, and a lack of proper crowd management systems at religious sites significantly increase the risk of stampedes.
3. Triggering Factors: A minor accident, rumor, or sudden movement within a densely packed crowd can trigger a stampede.
4. Casualties: Stampedes often result in high casualties due to the sheer number of people involved and the lack of emergency preparedness.
Major Causes of Stampedes in India
1. Structural Failures
• Collapse of makeshift bridges, railings, or temporary structures
• Unauthorized and unsafe building constructions
• Difficult terrain and poor accessibility at religious sites
• Narrow streets with insufficient entry and exit points
• Absence of emergency exits
2. Fire and Electrical Hazards
• Fires in makeshift facilities or illegal structures
• Lack of working fire extinguishers
• Unauthorized fireworks in enclosed spaces
• Power failures triggering panic and mass exodus
• Unsafe electrical connections and faulty equipment
3. Crowd Behaviour
• Mass hysteria or craze leading to chaotic movement
• Crowds pushing at entrances/exits before or after an event
• Rush during distribution of disaster relief supplies
• Anxious and competitive crowds at promotional events
• Last-minute changes in train platforms causing sudden movements
4. Security Lapses
• Insufficient and untrained security personnel
• Poor coordination among security forces
• Lack of surveillance, CCTV monitoring, and public announcement systems
• Inadequate route security and metal detectors
• 5. Lack of Coordination Among Stakeholders
• Poor coordination between police, local administration, and emergency services
• Infrastructure development delays due to lack of funding and resources
• Inadequate medical assistance, public transport, and parking facilities
• Delayed posting of key personnel
Impacts of Stampedes
1. Trauma and Loss: Victims and witnesses suffer immense psychological trauma, especially those who lose loved ones.
2. Economic Hardship: Many victims come from lower-income backgrounds. Their deaths often leave families without a primary breadwinner, causing financial distress. Additionally, funeral and medical expenses add to the burden.
3. Erosion of Public Trust: Repeated stampedes due to mismanagement erode faith in event organizers and authorities. Negligence in planning and poor safety measures continue to be major concerns.
4. Loss of Social and Human Capital: Stampedes disproportionately affect women and children, leading to a loss of valuable human capital.
NDMA Guidelines for Stampede Prevention
Recognizing the recurrent nature of stampedes at mass gatherings, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has developed a Suggestive Framework for Preparation of Crowd Management Plans to prevent such incidents.
Key Measures for Crowd Management:
• Understanding the Venue and Crowd:
• Type of event (religious, political, academic, etc.)
• Expected crowd demographics (age, gender, economic background)
• Venue details (location, accessibility, topography)
• Role of stakeholders (NGOs, local administration, law enforcement)
Crowd Handling Strategies:
• Proper traffic regulation around event venues
• Clearly marked route maps and emergency exit plans
• Barricading for crowd control and queue management
• Use of a snake-line approach for queue regulation
• Strict control of VIP movement to avoid disruptions
Safety and Security Measures:
• Ensuring authorized use of electricity and fire extinguishers
• CCTV monitoring and drone surveillance
• Public address systems for real-time communication
Medical and Emergency Preparedness:
• Establishment of medical aid stations
• Emergency response centers for post-disaster management
Role of Various Stakeholders:
• Event Managers: Must develop and implement crowd management plans in coordination with local authorities
Civil Society: NGOs should assist in traffic control, medical support, and resource mobilization
Police: Must participate in pre-event venue assessments and implement crowd control measures
Media: Should educate the public about safety measures and highlight gaps in disaster preparedness
Challenges in Implementing NDMA Guidelines
1. Poor Implementation: State governments and local authorities often fail to enforce NDMA guidelines effectively.
2. Rising Population and Urbanization: Increasing population densities make urban areas and pilgrimage sites more susceptible to stampedes.
3. High Tolerance for Crowds: Cultural norms in India allow for higher crowd densities, increasing the risk of stampedes in large gatherings.
4. Lack of Governance and Accountability: Authorities responsible for granting event permissions often fail to follow safety regulations, with little accountability for lapses.
Recommendations for Preventing Stampedes
1. Legislative and Regulatory Reforms: The Supreme Court has emphasized the need for comprehensive legislation addressing state liability in disasters like stampedes.
2. Professionalization of Crowd Management: Better communication, specialized training, and transparency in event management can significantly improve safety.
3. Technological Interventions: CCTV surveillance with AI-powered crowd monitoring, Drone surveillance for real-time crowd assessment and Facial recognition systems for identifying potential risks
4. Capacity Evaluation: Venues should undergo rigorous capacity assessments before allowing mass gatherings, with infrastructural improvements to ensure safety.
5. Crowd Behaviour Management: Public address systems should be used to dispel rumours, calm crowds, and guide systematic evacuations.
6. Stricter Compliance and Penalties: Authorities must enforce fire and structural safety regulations, conduct random inspections, and revoke licenses for violations.
7. Civil Society Engagement: NGOs should be actively involved in organizing safe mass gatherings by mobilizing resources and ensuring better preparedness.
8. Learning from Global Best Practices: India can adopt successful crowd management models, such as those implemented during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, to enhance safety protocols.
Stampedes in India remain a significant concern due to poor infrastructure, mismanagement, and inadequate security measures. While NDMA guidelines offer a structured approach to preventing such tragedies, effective implementation, technological interventions, and coordinated efforts among stakeholders are necessary to safeguard lives during mass gatherings.
No comments:
Post a Comment