WANTED: Smart crowd control

The stampede at Naina Devi made one thing clear: we have not learnt any lessons on the importance of efficient crowd control from earlier mishaps. Mumbaikars and experts tell Speak Up that this was one avoidable disaster 

At Kumbh, we learnt from history
The best way to prevent stampedes is to regulate the crowds. People should not be allowed to congregate at a point but should be kept moving onwards, even if it is very slowly. You also have to ensure that there is more than one exit and entry so the crowds are dispersed around the site.

We also need good public administration to control these crowds. The administration should be able to send and receive messages very clearly. A strong public administration system to make announcements and police chowkis scattered around the location would help immensely. Ensure good communication. For instance, if there is a rumour about a bomb blast or landslide the administration should be able to calm the crowd — deny the rumour or suggest means of escape. You need quick and strong action in these times. Also never use force to control a crowd, it will just get more unmanageable. Fear makes a person blind and creates panic. Thus, a lathi charge will only worsen the havoc.

A good way to plan crowd management is to study other such events. For example, the Kumbh Mela is one of the biggest crowd pullers in India. It takes place every six years and thus is a sought-after event. Therefore, we studied the last few melas at various venues and then sketched out a management plan. It is always better to anticipate 50% more visitors every year, and work accordingly.

It is always easier to manage a crowd in a horizontal location; hilly areas are always risky to handle because there is only one way up and down. To avoid stampedes in such areas you need two pathways — this could well take another decade or so. Till then we should go in for better crowd management.
—RN Tripathy. Former nodal officer, Kumbh Mela

Teach children to be considerate
Pilgrim places and religious festivals in India are always overcrowded. I have visited Durga pujas and music concerts where you can expect a stampede any time. In India, people don’t know how to behave in crowded places. They don’t follow a system but run wild, trying to grab a vantage position or exit faster. I think the only way to teach people about how to handle situations like these would be to have drills in schools and offices. Police and people have to work hand in hand to make people aware how to handle crowded places and what to do in a situation of panic. It is ironic that you go to a place of worship to seek a better life, and end up suffering such horrors.
 —Rohini Dugar

Administration is responsible
The administration has to be more vigilant. How difficult is it to make sure that information flows among pilgrims?

Tell people about weather conditions, chances of a natural disaster and so on. And why did they lathi charge the devotees? This was bound to aggravate the situation.

I have been to Vaishno Devi and Nainadevi Temple and found that the former is better managed (by the army). Also, the State needs to take disaster management a little more seriously. We need to be prepared to avoid rather than deal with disasters. The crowd is also responsible, particularly the uneducated elements who add to the situation.
—Sachin Rawal

Mob mentality is same everywhere
You just need to take a look at how Mumbai’s commuter crowds behave at stations
to know why we have such stampedes.

Watch how they pounce at the train as it enters the station with little thought for the others around them. Then there is a mad scramble to grab a place even if it means shoving another commuter out of the way. There are fights and arguments the entire time. You never know when the crowd will get out of hand. At Naina Devi all it took was a rumour about a landslide to set this stampede off. It took just 15 minutes for terror to spread. I cannot even start to imagine the horrific scene at that must have followed.
 —Shafeya Suleman

Prevent disasters, anticipate them
In India we need to use crowd management techniques at religious places and during festivals as well. There are no disciplined queues at most of these places and people just want to rush to catch a glimpse at the deity.

I have been to Mecca and there are lakhs of people from all over the world, but the crowd is managed reasonably well though stampedes are not uncommon here either. I think the government is to be blamed for such recurring mishaps. After all you can anticipate the crowds that will land up at various events.  The government announces huge compensations for the deceased. Why not spend this on security?
—Zaid Bagasrawala

Even city events get out of hand
You don’t need to go to pilgrim spots. Even Mumbai, during festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, has huge crowds turning up to celebrate at various points. Many of these visitors spare no thought for their neighbours.

I don’t dare go to Lalbaug during Ganapati because of the huge crowds. People waiting for darshan tend to get impatient and unruly. I can’t even blame the authorities because the crowds are hard to handle. It is not possible to find an immediate solution to this problem. But it would help if educated and strong people came forward as volunteers and helped authorities with crowd management.
 —Karisma Ruprella

We tend to turn wild in a crowd
I personally don’t think big crowds have to mean stampedes. And I also don’t avoid crowded places for fear of a mishap. But there is no denying that we lack crowd management techniques. There is no information available to the people which can lead to rumour mongering. According to me the following steps can be taken to avoid such situations: Employ groups to maintain and control crowds at different points.
Ensure that visitors follow the queue and that entry to and exit from the site is disciplined Allow people to enter the site in small groups rather than in large numbers Ensure medical facilities to deal with emergencies.
—Amanpreet Kaur

Stem mob trouble even as it erupts
We manage events across a wide spectrum — from football matches to pop concerts. At some events we manage, the numbers can go up to as many as 300,000. A risk assessment of the venue where the event is going to be held is very necessary. You have to have all the data: the profile of the crowd, the age group, what are they expecting from the event and so on. For instance, if the crowd is disappointed with the event it becomes difficult to manage it. Entrances and exits, including emergency ones, have to be thoroughly inspected because a bottleneck can mean overcrowding and complaints of suffocation. Also, you need to have a good idea of the infrastructure at the venue.
What is the weather condition going to be like? Where can people take shelter? We need to figure these answers out.

There is a calculus system whereby you can measure problems and try to resolve them. We divide the entire venue into compartments. If any trouble is sighted in these controllable units then it is dealt with immediately there and then. It is very essential that those managing the crowds be able to spot potential emergencies and to take appropriate measures to counter it.

Every crisis starts small. Crowd behaviour varies from event to event. When a rock band plays then the crowds start thinking as a group. You have to be in-charge of the group dynamics in such a case. You need to be verbally very strong to be able to control the crowd. Most governments and organisations do not give sufficient importance to risk management. It is a tragedy that people have to die at pilgrim places. Rumours start to spread among crowds because people lack in awareness. People who are informed feel safe, so make sure the crowds are kept informed.  
—Jacques Does. Managing Director, The Security Company (Specialists in crowd management), Holland