11 years ago, a warning at Kolkata’s Deshapriya Park that foretold a tragedy

People injured in the Chorbagan stampede coming out of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital after treatment. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

T​he tragedy at Chorbagan Sarbojanin in North Kolkata, where a sudden surge of crowd aggravated by rain led to a stampede, killing 18 people and leaving dozens injured, serves as a grim reminder of a lesson Kolkata should have learned over a decade ago.

Though there has been no earlier instance of a fatal stampede in Kolkata during Puja celebrations, crowd control has always been a challenge. The incident at Chorbagan recalls the events of 2015 at Deshapriya Park in South Kolkata, where the crowd puller was an 88-foot Durga idol, touted as the tallest in the world.

Massive, uncontrolled crowds rushed into the narrow neighborhood streets even before the festival officially began, leaving few people injured and causing severe suffocation and panic among children and the elderly. While 11 people were reportedly injured, officials said only 2-3 had received medical injuries in the incident.

At that time, the Kolkata Police stepped in, declaring the massive installation a security hazard, and shut down public access to the park and ultimately had the idol dismantled.

The incident was supposed to be a wake-up call that mega-scale festival gatherings cannot rely on planning alone, but must be backed by rigorous planning and measures for crowd control.

“Despite years of administrative guidelines established since 2015, the tragedy at Chorbagan proves that public safety is still not being prioritised effectively. In dense neighborhoods with narrow lanes, pushing thousands of people into bottlenecked pandal entryways without proper queue staggering or dynamic capacity management creates extreme risk. When sudden weather changes or massive crowd influxes occur, barricades fail, exit routes get blocked and panic sets in. What happened in Chorbagan shows that crowd management this year wasn’t proactive but reactive,” a senior Kolkata Police officer who has earlier managed Puja crowd told The Indian Express.

The fact that authorities were forced to shut down entry to major pandals like Chetla Agrani and Tala Prattoy following the Chorbagan incident shows that crowd control wasn’t planned properly, said another official.

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West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee Subhankar Sarkar questioned the safety arrangements at Puja pandals. “Look, never before have so many people died during the Durga Puja festival. We do not want to do politics today. But why is it that police are present with bulldozers to break a bookstore in Jadavpur, and here a pandal collapses and sufficient police presence is not there? The lives that were lost in Kolkata’s Durga Puja fest, the crisis that was created here… These families (of victims) plunged into darkness… Who is responsible for this?”

According to the police, famous, mega-budget pandals draw an average of three lakh to six lakh visitors daily from Saptami to Navami.

“Crowd management must be treated as the single most critical aspect of Durga Puja planning. There should be real-time footfall monitoring. Maximum capacity limits should be enforced with unblocked emergency corridors. It is important to be on the ground,” said a retired police officer.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Sweety Kumari is a seasoned journalist reporting from West Bengal for The Indian Express. With over a decade of experience in the media industry and eight years specifically with The Indian Express, she demonstrates considerable Expertise and Authority across a diverse range of critical beats. Experience & Authority Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express, reporting from West Bengal. Extensive Tenure: Over 10 years of experience in the media industry, with a long association (8 years) with The Indian Express, contributing to a high level of Trustworthiness. Diverse Coverage: Covers crucial beats including Crime, Defence, Health, and Politics, alongside writing on trending topics. Investigative Focus: Possesses a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories, demonstrating depth and skill in impactful journalism. Beat Versatility: Has honed her craft across diverse beats, including aviation and reporting on various incidents, ensuring well-rounded and comprehensive reportage. Career Start: Began her journalistic journey as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a news portal in Kolkata, providing a foundational understanding of media landscape and audience engagement. Education Advanced Education: Holds a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University, equipping her with advanced media theory and skills. Undergraduate Education: Holds an Honours degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College. Multilingual Skill: Her fluency in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili enhances her reach and capability to connect with diverse sources and communities in the region, adding a layer of accessibility and authenticity to her reporting. Regional Roots: Originally from Bihar, she was brought up and educated in Kolkata (Kendriya Vidyalaya Salt Lake), giving her a deep, personal understanding of the cultural and political nuances of her reporting region. Sweety Kumari's combination of significant experience, specialization in key beats like Crime and Politics, and strong academic background makes her a trusted and authoritative contributor to The Indian Express. ... Read More

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