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 :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
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 ]
