In the wake of the stampede at Delhi Railway Station that claimed 18 lives on Saturday, railway stations across Uttar Pradesh have been put on high alert following the massive convergence of devotees reaching Prayagraj for a holy dip at Sangam during the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela.
Over 52 crore people have bathed on the ghats along Sangam in Prayagraj. However, the massive crowds of devotees have resulted in severe congestion on roads and railway stations, leading to significant travel disruptions.
Over the weekend, Prayagraj and its neighbouring districts, including Ayodhya, Gonda, Varanasi, Fatehpur, Gorakhpur, and even the state capital Lucknow, experienced huge crowds at railway stations.
Besides the above-mentioned stations, almost all other stations, including Chitrakoot, Kannauj, and Jhansi, have been put on alert after the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station.
At Charbagh Railway Station in Lucknow, cops have been carrying out inspections. They have prepared a list of trains going to Prayagraj and are brainstorming on arrangements to manage the crowd. They are also checking CCTV footage. The railways are witnessing a massive surge in footfall in view of the ongoing Mela.
The trains reaching Prayagraj are overcrowded at stations, with passengers awaiting Prayagraj-bound or even adjoining district trains to reach the Mahakumbh, despite the three significant 'Amrit Snans' (holy dips) on the auspicious days of Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya, and Basant Panchami being over.
ADG Railways, Prakash D, has issued directives to the authorities concerned to ensure the deployment of GRP personnel at all railway stations across the state. Moreover, the GRP has also been directed to manage the crowd and maintain order on the platforms while working in coordination with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and railway authorities.
In order to avoid any chaos due to overcrowding at railway stations, GRP personnel have been deployed on footover bridges. Special caution is being taken on the platforms through which the Prayagraj-bound special Mela trains are passing.
Meanwhile, the police authorities of all the districts through which trains for Prayagraj are passing have deployed district police personnel around railway stations for crowd management.