India: UP enforces emergency measures after stampede at Kumbh Mela

Dubai: A day after a deadly pre-dawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, where 30 pilgrims lost their lives and 60 others were injured, the Uttar Pradesh government has rolled out strict emergency measures to prevent further tragedies. Among the five major changes introduced, the entire fairground has now been declared a No-Vehicle Zone, Indian media reports said.

The disaster struck on Wednesday as millions of devotees surged towards the Sangam—the sacred confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna — for a ritual dip on Mauni Amavasya, one of the holiest days of the Kumbh Mela. According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Maha Kumbh, Vaibhav Krishna, the stampede erupted when pilgrims pushed against barricades, desperate to reach the holy waters.

In response, the state government has dispatched top bureaucrats—Ashish Goyal and Bhanu Goswami — both of whom played pivotal roles in managing the 2019 Ardh Kumbh. Additionally, five senior officers with experience handling large-scale events have been assigned to assist in crowd control, according to NDTV.

To manage the surging crowds at railway stations, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered close coordination with rail authorities and an increase in buses to accommodate departing pilgrims. Meanwhile, holding areas have been set up at key entry points to regulate the flow of devotees into the fairground, with food, water, and uninterrupted electricity assured for those waiting.

Authorities have also beefed up security and traffic management along major routes leading to Prayagraj, including those from Ayodhya, Kanpur, Fatehpur, Lucknow, Pratapgarh, and Varanasi.

A three-member judicial commission has been appointed to investigate the tragedy. The panel comprises Justice Harsh Kumar, former Director General VK Gupta, and retired IAS officer VK Singh.

The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased.

Undeterred devotees: Faith over fear

Despite the stampede’s horror, the Maha Kumbh continued uninterrupted, as massive crowds of devout Hindus pressed on with their ritual baths.

“We’ve obviously heard about the stampede,” said 21-year-old Naveen Pradhan, who arrived with his family just hours after the tragedy. “But this is a sacred duty—we wouldn’t miss it no matter what,” he was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.

The six-week-long Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering in the world, reached one of its most sacred days on Wednesday, coinciding with a planetary alignment believed to amplify the ritual’s spiritual significance.

Despite the early morning disaster, saffron-clad holy men continued leading millions of devotees into the Sangam for their sin-cleansing bath.

Even before the stampede, tensions had been rising over crowd management failures. Many pilgrims voiced anger over reserved pathways and cordoned-off areas for VIPs, which they claimed reduced space for common worshippers.

To monitor the festival’s massive crowds, authorities deployed hundreds of surveillance cameras, overhead drones, and an AI-driven control center designed to alert officials before congestion becomes dangerous.

But for some, these measures came too late. With 14 million devotees expected to visit the Maha Kumbh, all eyes are now on Prayagraj to see if the authorities can prevent another tragedy.