28-07-2025
After Haridwar stampede jolt, Uttarakhand looks at regulating pilgrim flow
A day after the Haridwar stampede, the Uttarakhand government is looking to form guidelines for crowd management, pilgrim registration, and widening of footpaths and stairways.
The government is also in the process of introducing policies to remove encroachments and provide essential amenities to devotees for a 'smooth and safe pilgrimage experience', the Chief Minister's Office said.
On Sunday, eight people died in a stampede at Haridwar's Mansa Devi mandir following panic triggered by a rumoured electrical hazard around 100 metres from the temple's entrance. The three-metre-wide ramp, where the stampede took place, was used by a massive crowd entering and exiting the temple. This path was further encroached on one side by shops. Some survivors had alleged the shopkeepers did not let them in.
Mansa Devi temple authorities do not keep a count of the number of visitors each day, but staff estimate that around 20,000 people reached the temple between 5 am and 9 am on Sunday. Staff managing the ropeway infrastructure at the temple said that with 27 cable cars, they see a crowd of over 6,000 on most days during Sawan.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, during a high-level meeting at the Secretariat on Monday, directed officials to ensure proper arrangements at the state's major religious sites such as the Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi temples in Haridwar, Purnagiri Dham in Tanakpur, Kainchi Dham in Nainital, Jageshwar Temple in Almora, and the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple in Pauri, keeping in mind the large number of devotees.
He directed that a committee be constituted under the chairmanship of the commissioners of both Garhwal and Kumaon divisions. This committee will include the district magistrates of the districts concerned, senior superintendents of police, vice-chairpersons of the development authorities, and representatives from executing agencies.
The CMO said that they will look at the planned development of the Mansa Devi temple complex and other major temple premises. 'Mandatory registration of pilgrims must be implemented, and the number of pilgrims allowed for darshan should be regulated through a phased system, to ensure effective crowd control and a hassle-free experience for devotees,' the CMO said.
Aiswarya Raj is a correspondent with The Indian Express who covers South Haryana. An alumna of Asian College of Journalism and the University of Kerala, she started her career at The Indian Express as a sub-editor in the Delhi city team. In her current position, she reports from Gurgaon and covers the neighbouring districts. She likes to tell stories of people and hopes to find moorings in narrative journalism. ... Read More
