Raincoats, no selfies: New guidelines for puja pandals after Kolkata stampede

An umbrella organisation of around 400 organising committees and the police have issued fresh guidelines on crowd management in Durga Puja pandals after 19 people were killed and 25 injured in a stampede at a pandal in Kolkata on Saturday.

A surge in crowds and heavy rain triggered the stampede at Chor Bagan, one of the most popular Durga Puja venues, in cramped north Kolkata, as crowds jostled through a narrow bylane on Saptami, the seventh day of the festival. Rain had left the streets slippery.

The Forum for Durgotsab, the umbrella organisation, has asked puja organisers to keep at least 10 raincoats in each pandal and walkie-talkies. It added that regular announcements should be made inside the pandals, warning hoppers against making videos or taking selfies.

The forum has asked its members to ensure that at least one ambulance is kept in each zone so that it can be the first responder in case of any eventuality.

Saswata Basu, a forum member, said the guidelines were issued for better crowd management after a meeting with prominent puja organisers on Sunday.

West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who met top police officers and bureaucrats on Sunday, said that if needed, crowds will be restricted. There will be no separate queues for VIPs. We will do whatever it takes,” he said.

A committee comprising officers from the fire department and police was set up to take a fresh look at the security arrangements at prominent pujas in Kolkata and make on-the-spot recommendations on whether any rectifications in the existing arrangements were needed.

The officers-in-charge and assistant police commissioners have been directed to visit the prominent puja pandals registering heavy footfall. “They have been asked to ensure that all entrance and exit routes are kept free of any obstructions,” said a police officer.

“In case of rain, people should not be allowed to enter the pandal to take shelter; the interior of the pandal should be well-lit, no VIP vehicle should be allowed to go near the pandal, and police will monitor the announcements made by the organisers on the public address system.”

Police officers noted that pandal-hoppers move at a snail’s pace, take selfies and make videos of the interior decorations and idols, building up crowds.

Preliminary probe into the stampede showed the Chor Bagan pandal was registering heavy footfall and the crowd was swelling on Saptami evening while it also started raining. People inside the pandal refused to go out as it was raining. More people tried to get in through both the entrance and the exit.

A second police officer said the organisers started announcing that the pandal could collapse and the people should leave. “There was an announcement and the volunteers at the pandal started blowing whistles. This apparently triggered the stampede.”

Police allegedly abandoned their posts as it was raining to avoid getting drenched. Many alleged that they had to book app cabs to take the victims to the hospital.

An official said police personnel on duty have been instructed that they cannot leave their posts even if it rains and will have to manage the crowd.