Kolkata: Amidst the huge crowd of devotees during Durga Puja in Kolkata, there was chaos on Saturday at the famous Chetla Agrani puja pandal in South Kolkata. Due to sudden heavy rain on the evening of Maha Saptami, a large number of people went inside the pandal to avoid getting wet. Due to this, the crowd pressure in the campus started increasing rapidly. Seeing the seriousness of the situation, the organisers and the police took immediate steps. The entry of new devotees was banned and the people present inside were evacuated safely. Due to timely action taken, a possible stampede was averted and no major accident was reported.
How did the crowd in the pandal suddenly increase due to rain?
According to Sabyasachi Chaudhary, organiser of Chetla Aagiri, due to the heavy rain on Saturday, the devotees present outside started taking shelter inside the pandal. Suddenly more people gathered at one place than on normal days, due to which traffic started getting affected. In such a situation, there could be a possibility of an accident due to increased crowd pressure. The policemen on duty assessed the situation and ordered to vacate the pandal. The organisers also coordinated with the police and started the process of evacuating the devotees safely.
Why were the entrances closed?
To control the crowd, the organisers closed the main entry gates of the pandal and opened all emergency exits. The barricades installed on the way were also removed so that the devotees do not face any problem in coming out. Policemen instructed people to go out in an organised manner. During this period, the priority was to ensure that no crowd gathered at any exit and no situation of jostling arose. Quick action by the organisers and police helped in evacuating the premises.
Why increased vigilance in puja pandals?
The incident of the increase in crowd in Chetla Agani came to light at a time when there was increased concern about security arrangements after the accident at Chorbagan Puja Pandal in North Kolkata. According to available information, many people lost their lives in this accident. After this, some major puja organisers of the city temporarily stopped the darshan as a precautionary measure. Information about reviews of security arrangements in pandals like College Square and Mohammed Ali Park also came to light. The organisers are faced with the challenge of providing darshan to the devotees and keeping the crowd under control.
Will there be a review before reopening the pandal?
According to Ritesh Tiwari, the chief organiser of the famous Tala Pratyaya Puja pandal in North Kolkata, the pandal was temporarily closed on the advice of the Chief Minister. Due to the low-light theme, a review of security and lighting was considered necessary. According to the organisers, the decision on reopening the pandal will be taken only after discussion with the police and administration and improvement in necessary arrangements. Its objective is to ensure that devotees have adequate lighting, safe passage and exit in case of emergency during darshan.
Have security rules been made stricter?
Other major Durga Puja organisers in Kolkata have also stressed on crowd management and safety measures. After the Chorbagan incident, it was decided to stop the laser show and loud music in Allen Park on Park Street. Sajal Ghosh, organiser of Santosh Mitra Square, said that the exit gates have been widened and the number of devotees entering the pandal is being limited. At the same time, according to Saurav Sikdar, organiser of Suruchi Sangh, additional volunteers have been deployed in the pandal so that the devotees do not gather in front of the statue for long and the movement remains continuous.
