Following the tragic death of 18 people in a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has set up a separate enclosure for general passengers traveling to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh Mela. This move is aimed at managing the heavy crowd and ensuring passenger safety amid the ongoing rush for the religious event, according to reports by the Indian Express.
An enclosed waiting area composed of bamboo bar is established at the corner of Platform 16. This cage can carry a maximum of 800 people per time. More than a dozen RPF personnel have been stationed in order to control the movement of crowd at entry and exit points of the enclosure. Secondly, a unit of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) has been posted on the fringes, in order to maintain security and avoid further incident.
The RPF, which is responsible for ensuring passenger safety and securing railway property, has implemented such crowd-control measures in the past, particularly during major festival seasons such as Holi, Diwali, and Chhath Puja. A senior RPF official stated that this arrangement will remain in place until the Maha Kumbh concludes on February 27. He also noted that if it is necessary, further enclosures will be made to handle the huge number of passengers that will be present in the next few days.
The Railways has allotted Platform 16 to special trains going towards Prayagraj. Therefore, the enclosure has been set up in an optimized way close to the platform in order to minimize pedestrian clogging. Passengers are permitted to board the platform only after the corresponding trains have arrived for departure. This metric is intended to avoid bural overcrowding and to reduce the risk for a new stampede.
Accounts say, that from 3 to 4 special trains per day are used for the general category ticket holders, who are traveling to the Maha Kumbh Mela. Passengers, especially those in the general class, have been using such services to get to Prayagraj for the religious occasion.
Among those waiting in the newly created enclosure was Desh Raj, a passenger from Delhi’s Wazirpur, who was preparing to travel to Prayagraj. Speaking to the Indian Express, he said, “I have a general ticket. They are saying my train will leave at 5 pm, so until then, I’ll be here. Like many others, he found himself navigating the heavy rush at the railway station, which has witnessed an unprecedented surge in footfall due to the religious event.
On a regular day, the New Delhi Railway Station experiences a daily footfall of approximately 3.5 to 4 lakh passengers. Yet, on 15 February, the masses reached almost 5 lakh, well above the station’s normal capacity and causing heavy pressure on the railway construction.
The Delhi Police, while investigating the reason of stampede, have attributed the mishap to confusion in train announcements. The police reported that the event originated from inaccurate announcements related to two trains with the same name. The announcement of the arrival of the Prayagraj Special at Platform 16 reportedly caused chaos among passengers, as the Prayagraj Express was already stationed at Platform 14. Many passengers, unable to reach Platform 14 in time, mistakenly believed that their train was arriving at Platform 16, leading to a sudden rush and overcrowding.
On top of this mayhem, four trains to Prayagraj were due to leave simultaneously, with three of those delayed without warning. This further intensified the overcrowding situation, as frustrated passengers anxiously waited for their trains, leading to panic and ultimately resulting in the tragic stampede.
Since then, the authorities have taken measures to enhance crowd control at the station. Amongst the actions taken to prevent any future recurrence of such an event, deploying security staff, setting up waiting zones exclusively designated for awaiting passengers and upgrading announcement systems are just some of the measures in place.
RPF Delhi Police are keeping a strict watch on the situation, and efforts are on to enhance the clarity on train timings and crowd management strategies. As the Maha Kumbh Mela attracts huge crowds of people, the priority is maintaining safe conditions for trips of passengers to Prayagraj.
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