Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Saturday, 1 January 2022

Stampedes : cases of avoidable deaths ?

 


 

Context :

Survivors relive Vaishno Devi shrine horror: ‘some fell, were run over’    /  Indian Express  / 02 Jan 2022



Extract :

The stampede that killed 12 pilgrims at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in J&K early on Saturday also left indelible scars in the minds of those who survived the horror.


Seventeen-year-old Ayush from Delhi was returning from the shrine when he saw people ahead, near a police checkpoint, turn back and run.

 

“There was no one to control the crowd. No one even checked our yatra slips and Covid test certificates,” he said.

Blaming the Shrine Board for the tragedy, he said: “They could have at least made announcements on the public address system, asking people to stand where they are.”

“Before we could react, we saw a crowd of 300-400 people rushing in our direction.

Describing the scene, Sharma said there was “chaos everywhere”.

“Near the Manokamna Bhawan in the complex, another group of 400-500 people was pushing others aside to move forward. Suddenly, people started running in all directions. There was no one to control the crowd. As some fell, others ran over them,” he said.

 “They were pushing others aside to move forward. Some minor children were standing there, and some parents were pushing some of them away to save their own children from getting trampled,” he said.

 

MY  TAKE :


Ø  With regularity, such stampedes occur at religious places in India

Ø  But, it seems authorities have failed to implement “ Preventive Steps / Measures

Ø  Following are the e-mails that I have sent in past to Authorities, suggesting simple methods which will NEVER allow a stampede to take place :

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Some learn : Some just won’t !........................ [ 13 Oct 2013 ]

 

Extract :

          Construct separate / barricaded pathways ( even if temporary ) for coming

          and returning traffic

 

·         Ensure single-person movement within these pathways (ala Tirupati )

 

·         Depute just 500 policemen all along the path to regulate the surge of the

          crowd

 

·         Provide CCTV-control booths at intervals of 500 meters each

  

 

·         Provide CCTV based “ Darshan “ of the deity along the way ( ala Shirdi

          SaiBaba )

 

·         Continuously issue instructions over Public Announcement System

 

·         Patrol the entire stretch with Police Vans and Ambulances

 

·         Make provision for water along the way

 

·         Get NGOs to help regulate traffic by providing volunteers

 

SIMPLE SOLUTION for STEMPEDE…………………………. [ 24 Sept 2015 ]

 

Extract :


Stampedes occur when, in a narrow path, some people make a run ( rush ) , for whatever reason , trying to overtake people in front walking normally

 

The surest - and the safest - way to prevent stampede is :

 

Simply ensure no one can outrun persons walking in front  !

 

Eminently possible !

 

Just install , one above another ( vertically ) , several rope-ways with hanging chairs for 2 persons per chair , safely secured by belts

 

All rope-ways picking up pilgrims at the Boarding Station and then dropping off at the Disembarkation Station , on the opposite side

 

Each rope-way moving at variable speeds controlled by CONTROL ROOM

At other places , this concept of horizontally moving conveyors carrying stationary persons , can be replicated with some variations

 

This automatic arrangement will make it possible for the Authorities enable sick / old / children to perform the pilgrimage !

 

 

Will Dr Mahesh Sharma ( Minister for Tourism / Govt of India ) , consider this idea for Maha-Kumbh Mela / Tirupati / Sai Dham , Shirdi / Sinhasth  Kumbh , Nasik etc  ?

 

 

May be Shri Narendra Modi , while talking to American CEOs in San Jose today , convince them to come forward with an investment of $ 5 billion at our holy places , to transform Make in India into Incredible India  !

 

Dismiss   Inefficient   Government   Servant  [   DIGS  ]……………… [ 31 Dec 2017 ]

 

Extract :

 

 

Is it unfortunate that the Government officers responsible for such accidents, are never held accountable for their lapses ( or worse , for their “ bribe-inspired “ collusion ) which lead to such accidents

 

 I urge some TV Channel / Print Newspaper to develop / launch , a mobile app ( - to be called , DIGS ? ) , with following features :

 

[ A ]    NATURE  of accident  ( select from following drop-list ) 

[ B ]    LOCATION  (  enter  )

[ C ]    DATE  (  enter  )

[ D ]    OFFICER RESPONSIBLE ( in your opinion )

[ E ]    PUNISHMENT  ( being recommended by user of DIGS )

[ F ]    CONDITIONS   (  governing use of DIGS app )

 

Greatest  Show  on  Earth :  Kumbh  Mela………………………….. [ 25 Aug 2018 ]


Extract :

I urge Shri Yogi Adityanathji [ CM – UP ] and Shri V K Anand [ Kumbh Mela Adhikari ] , to consider the following precautionary SAFETY measures to prevent a stampede :


METHOD   A  ……..HORIZONTAL  CONVEYORS  

METHOD   B  ……..ROPE WAYS  WITH  HANGING  CHAIRS  

METHOD   C  ……..ROLLER  COASTERS  

 

Main Concept :

 

 Simply eliminate walking ( stampede happens when impatient people try to

 overtake  pilgrims walking in front of them or have ability to run helter-skelter

 under some perceived threat )

    

 

At each “ Arrival Point “ ( Railway Station / Bus Stands / Airport / Parking Plots for private vehicles ) , each arriving visitor to be welcomed with a RFID sensor embedded wrist-band


Before issuing the wrist band, pilgrim’s AADHAR NO will be entered into the sensor

 

It will be mandatory for the visitors to wear this Wrist Band as long as they are inside the “ PILGRIMAGE PERIMETER “

 

This will help the central PILGRIM TRAFFIC CONTROL ROOM , to track  :

      #   each and every visitor

      #   missing / lost persons

     #    mischief-mongers / miscreants

     #    accident victims / sick persons

 

 

For a fool proof solution for CROWD CONTROL, I urge Kumbh Mela Administation to consider :

 

#    Increasing the no of CCTV cameras from 1,000 to 10,000

 

#    Couple these with a FACE RECOGNITION software, such that those who

      attempt to “ WALK “ ( instead of riding ), inside the Pilgrimage Perimeter (

      area covered by Methods A / B / C ,described earlier ) will find their face,

      name, and their Aadhar ID number displayed  on a large LED screen , as

      described in :

       

        “ If you jaywalk in China, facial recognition means , You’ll walk away with a fine “

 

  

Dear Shri G Kishan Reddyji ( Minister for Tourism  )

 

 I urge you to consider my above-mentioned suggestions for avoidance of stampedes

 

There is no rocket-science involved in my suggestions – just simple / old fashioned engineering

 

       

With regards,

Hemen Parekh / hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 02 Jan 2022

===================================================

Related Readings :

Saudi Arabia shows mastery of crowd control during haj [ TOI / 23 Aug  2018  ]

No comments:

Post a Comment