Odisha Police has asked Durga Puja committees to introduce queue-based entry at pandals to manage crowds, particularly in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, PTI reported on Sunday. The directions follow a stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata that killed 19 people.
Police have deployed personnel and volunteers at pandal entry and exit gates, restricted four-wheelers on narrow approach roads and stationed ambulances and fire service teams at the venues. Puja organisers have also been asked to install CCTV cameras and follow safety guidelines.
Odisha Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra told reporters that narrow passages and large crowds could lead to stampedes. “When a large crowd passes through a narrow passage, there is always a possibility of a stampede-like situation. So, we have asked the puja organising committees to make arrangements for queue-based darshan at their pandals,” he said, according to PTI.
Mishra said adequate police personnel and volunteers had been deployed at the entrance and exit gates to regulate the movement of devotees. “We will ensure that a large number of people are not allowed inside the pandals at one time. If someone falls inside the pandal, entry will be closed,” he said.
Mobile units, teams to prevent snatching and harassment, and a rapid-response force have also been deployed at strategic locations, Mishra said. The movement of four-wheelers has been restricted on narrow roads leading to the pandals.
Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh said puja committees were responsible for the safety of devotees at their venues, while the police would regulate arrangements and provide security.
“It is the responsibility of the puja organising committees to ensure the safety of the devotees at their pandals. We are regulating it and providing necessary security arrangements,” Singh said, according to PTI.
Singh said several meetings had been held with stakeholders, and all puja organisers had been asked to install CCTV cameras and deploy enough volunteers to manage crowds. “We have issued guidelines for organising the puja. If any violation is found, strong action will be taken,” he warned. He also stressed the need for queue-based entry at pandals.
Inspector General of Police, Central Range, Satyajit Naik appealed to people to celebrate Durga Puja peacefully and maintain discipline, harmony and mutual respect. He urged people to uphold Odisha’s cultural traditions and ensure that the celebrations remained peaceful and inclusive.
Naik said organisers should strictly follow the administration’s guidelines and conduct processions and immersion ceremonies in an orderly manner to protect public safety. He also asked devotees, puja committees, organisers and volunteers to carry out their responsibilities sincerely and ensure that the celebrations did not inconvenience others.
He advised people not to believe or circulate messages, photographs and videos without checking their authenticity. Unverified information and provocative social media posts could cause confusion, fear and tension and disturb communal harmony, he warned.
Naik also cautioned people against drink-driving, reckless driving, disorderly behaviour and other activities that could endanger public safety. “The joy of the festival should not come at the cost of public peace, safety or the rights of others,” he said.
At least 19 people were killed and 25 injured in the stampede at the Chorbagan pandal on Saturday evening after crowds surged amid rain. Odisha Police has since directed puja committees to regulate entry through queues, deploy volunteers and follow safety measures during the celebrations.
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With PTI inputs