AN AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY
"Several factors appear to have contributed to
the Godavari tragedy. These include lack of proper barricading to enable
pilgrims to move in single file towards the river, the failure of the
authorities to guide devotees, especially those unfamiliar with the town, to
more spacious ghats elsewhere, and the absence of planning for crowd
management. All this indicate that even a good deal of advance preparation and
elaborate security arrangements are not enough to guarantee safety at mass
events unless some elementary safeguards are in place. After the Maha Kumbh
Mela tragedy in 1954, Jawahar Lal Nehru asked the VIPs to stay away from such
events. It was recognised even then that
the presence of VIPs puts needless pressure and strain on the administrative
machinery and severely compromises optimal measures to control milling crowds.
While VIPs do have a right to participate in such events, it should be ensured
that their presence does not compromise the safety of the public"
(17-07-2015)
