New Delhi:
At least 19 people were killed and 25 injured in a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday, raising fresh questions about crowd management and safety at large public gatherings.
The stampede occurred around 7:40 pm near the pandal's exit gate as heavy rain and a large crowd created chaotic conditions. Eight of the injured were reported to be in critical condition. The incident is being investigated, with authorities looking into the circumstances surrounding the crowd surge.
The question is: Did the crowd simply get out of control, or were the arrangements inadequate to manage the massive crowds at such large festivals?
Bengal's Spending On Durga Puja Assistance
The West Bengal government is spending crores and crores of rupees on Durga Puja and increasing its expenditure over the years so that the festival can be celebrated without any issues.
According to West Bengal Budget data, financial assistance to Durga Puja organisers rose from Rs 61 crore in FY20 to Rs 303 crore in FY24 and Rs 385 crore in FY25.
In FY26, the figure rose to around Rs 524 crore. For FY27, the budget estimate for the same stands at around Rs 200 crore.
These amounts refer to financial assistance to Puja organisers, not the total cost of Durga Puja across the state. They also do not represent spending specifically earmarked for crowd control or safety at pandals.
The state is spending huge amounts on Durga Puja, but does this raise the question of whether overcrowded festival venues are more prone to stampedes?
More Than 300 Stampede Deaths In Eight Years
According to the data from the National Crime Records Bureau, 307 people died in stampedes in India between 2017 and 2024. The highest toll in this period was recorded in 2024, when 147 people died.
That means nearly 48 per cent of the deaths recorded across these eight years occurred in 2024 alone.
The Kolkata stampede has once again brought crowd safety at large public gatherings into focus.
While the state provides financial assistance to Durga Puja organisers, the key question is whether adequate safety arrangements are in place to manage the massive crowds.