In the wake of the recent stampede at Haridwar’s Mansa Devi temple, the Uttarakhand Tourism Department has been directed to prepare a master plan to manage crowds at religious and pilgrimage sites across the state.
The move comes after Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami instructed officials to strengthen safety measures for devotees after the tragic incident. His Principal Secretary, RK Sudhanshu, has issued a formal order to the Tourism Secretary to begin working on the plan immediately.
On July 27, nine people died and 29 were injured during a stampede on the narrow stairway leading to the hilltop Mansa Devi temple. Following the incident, CM Dhami rushed to Haridwar to assess the situation and asked officials to make a comprehensive plan for the safety of pilgrims visiting major religious places, crowd control, entry-exit system and other key facilities to prevent such tragedies in the future.
"A master plan will be made for all the pilgrimage sites for the safety and convenience of the pilgrims. The journey will be made more organized by developing public facilities around the pilgrimage sites," Dhami had said.
The Tourism Secretary has been asked to involve Divisional Commissioners from both Garhwal and Kumaon regions in the planning and implementation process. The government has also ordered removal of illegal encroachments along pilgrimage routes as a priority.
The master plan will include major points like crowd control system, development of carrying capacity, separate entry and exit routes, emergency evacuation arrangements, additional space for waiting, clean drinking water, toilets, first aid, well-organized information and guidance system, parking arrangements and deployment of adequate security forces.
The aim is to make religious travel in Uttarakhand safer, smoother, and better equipped to handle a large number of pilgrims.
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