LUCKNOW: The Yogi Adityanath government in UP cancelled Thursday all VIP protocols in Prayagraj – pilot cars, police escort and direct entry, among other privileges – for the three remaining special snan days of Maha Kumbh following the Mauni Amavasya stampede.
The curbs will kick in on the eve of Amrit Snan on Basant Panchami (Feb 3), Maghi Purnima (Feb 12) and Shivratri (Feb 26), and remain in force for a day each after these events. The administration has also clamped a blanket ban on vehicles entering the mela zone till Feb 4. A three-member judicial commission has begun its probe into the stampede in which 30 pilgrims died.
VIPs planning Kumbh trips must intimate admin a wk in advance
Additional DGP (Prayagraj) Bhanu Bhaskar said: “Between Feb 5 and 26, excluding Maghi Purnima and Shivratri, vehicular movement within the city will be restricted.”
A govt spokesperson said CM Adityanath reviewed security and crowd management with senior officials late Wednesday and directed them to “strictly enforce” measures that were announced even before Maha Kumbh started.
“Droves of pilgrims are arriving to bathe at Triveni Sangam. The state govt has notified that VIPs planning to be a part of Maha Kumbh even on days other than the main snan events would need to intimate the mela administration a week in advance. This will ensure that last-minute VIP movement doesn’t inconvenience pilgrims,” the spokesperson said.
DGP Prashant Kumar, who took stock of arrangements at the Maha Kumbh zone with chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, said the administration would do whatever it takes to ensure a hitch-free Basant Panchami.
The DGP and chief secretary also visited Moti Lal Nehru Medical College to meet some of those injured in the stampede.
Adityanath deputed Ashish Goyal, who was divisional commissioner of Prayagraj during the 2019 Kumbh, and Bhanu Goswami, former vice-chairperson of Allahabad Development Authority, to oversee the mela administration.
Five officers of the rank of special secretary have been posted in Prayagraj until Feb 12 to assist him in managing the event. More SP-level officers have been deployed to handle security duties.
Steps to regulate pedestrian movement and prevent overcrowding include creating one-way pathways at several places. This is meant to prevent bottlenecks, reduce the risk of stampede, and enable emergency services to operate efficiently if and when needed.
Movement through the pontoon bridges has been eased. Some bridges were shut on Mauni Amavasya to stop pilgrims from crowding the Sangam area, but it apparently proved counter-productive. The Prayagraj administration urged all pilgrims and visitors to strictly adhere to the new regulations.