Crowd Management in India: From Reactive Compensation to Proactive, Tech-Driven Safety
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Disaster Management (Crowd Management, Stampedes, National Disaster Management Authority - NDMA), Governance, Science & Tech (LiDAR, AI in disaster management).
Mains:
GS Paper 3: Disaster and disaster management.
GS Paper 1: Salient features of Indian Society (role of religious gatherings/melas).
GS Paper 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Key Highlights from the News
The recent tragedies at pilgrimage centers in Haridwar and Barabanki point to failures in crowd management during religious mass gatherings in India.
Rumors, panic, and poor infrastructure (e.g., temporary wiring) often cause stampedes.
Although National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines exist, they are often not followed.
Because these guidelines are not legally binding, institutions like temple trusts do not take them seriously.
When a disaster occurs, authorities often focus on providing compensation instead of structural reforms.
To resolve this crisis, the article argues for measures such as making NDMA guidelines legally binding, establishing a single incident-command structure, and using technologies like LiDAR and AI cameras to monitor crowds.
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