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The Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, is expected to draw a massive crowd of around 40 crore people, posing a significant challenge for crowd management.
Speaking on the preparations for the Maha Kumbh, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of North Central Railway, Shashikant Tripathi told ANI, "... The Civil Administration has given us an estimate that around 40 crore people will reach Prayagraj during the Kumbh Mela... Crowd management is a big subject for us." The North Central Railway has devised a plan to ensure a smooth and safe experience for the pilgrims. The uni-directional movement to prevent chaos and congestion, the movement of people will be kept uni-directional, avoiding criss-cross movements. Moreover, passengers will be directed to the 'Yatri-Kendra' before proceeding to their respective platforms, reducing confusion and congestion. "We will keep the movement of the people uni-directional to avoid any cris-cross movement... Passengers will be taken to 'Yatri-Kendra' before going to their respective platforms to avoid confusion and unnecessary congestion on the platforms...," said Tripathi. To cater to the massive influx of pilgrims for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, Indian Railways will operate a staggering 13,000 trains over 50 days, including 2-3 additional days before and after the event. This massive transportation effort will comprise 10,000 regular trains and 3,000 special trains. "During the 50 days (including 2-3 days additional days before and after) the Kumbh Mela, 13,000 trains will run, which will have 10,000 regular trains and 3,000 special trains. There are around 700 Mela Special Trains for long-distance... Around 1800 short-distance trains will operate for 200-300 kms... We are also running a ring rail for the devotees who want to go to Chitrakoot, Banaras and Ayodhya, including Prayagraj. This train will move in a circuit originating from Prayagraj," added Tripathi. The government and railway authorities are working together to ensure seamless communication, transportation, and amenities for the millions of devotees and visitors. The Maha Kumbh Mela is scheduled to take place from January 13 to February 26, 2025, at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Sarasvati rivers in Prayagraj. The event is expected to be a grand celebration, with various spiritual, cultural, and tourist attractions. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) participated in a mega mock exercise with Prayagraj Mela Authority and other agencies under the aegis of Uttar Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority in Prayagraj on Saturday to ensure a grand, safe and successful organization of Maha Kumbh 2025 and to deal with any emergency, NDRF said in a press release. The aim of this exercise was to establish better coordination with the Prayagraj Mela Authority, District Administration, SDRF, Police, Water Police, Fire Department, Health Department, and other important agencies. All the specialized teams of NDRF (Flood Water Rescue, Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue, and Response Team for Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear Disasters) participated in this mega mock exercise under the guidance of Mohsin Shahidi, Deputy Inspector General (Operations) and Manoj Kumar Sharma, Deputy Inspector General (Nodal Officer NDRF). (ANI)
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