News Brief
Maha Kumbh Stampede: Yogi Adityanath Government Cancels VVIP Passes, Bans Vehicles — Here Are The Key Decisions
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The Maha Kumbh area in Prayagraj has been declared a no-vehicle zone, with VVIP passes cancelled and roads leading to the fair have been converted into one-way routes to ensure an orderly flow of devotees, India Today reported.
This decision comes a day after a tragic stampede in the Sangam area which resulted in loss of 30 lives.
On Wednesday (29 January), 30 people lost their lives, and 60 others sustained injuries as millions of devotees converged at the Maha Kumbh to take a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya, the new moon day, at the world's largest religious congregation.
Following the tragedy, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted an emergency video conference with senior officials from Prayagraj and surrounding districts, including Kaushambi, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and several others.
To regulate the massive crowds, entry of all types of vehicles has been banned in the Maha Kumbh area to ensure proper crowd management and the safety of devotees travelling there.
VVIP passes have been revoked, eliminating any special exemptions for vehicle access.
Strict controls have been placed on vehicular movement, with vehicles from neighboring districts halted at Prayagraj’s borders.
Additionally, a complete ban on four-wheeler entry into the city will remain effective until 4 February.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has ordered a judicial inquiry into the stampede, has directed officials to keep traffic flow steady in the Mela area.
He said the crowd pressure should not build up anywhere and there should be no jams on the roads.
Street vendors currently occupying roads should be relocated to empty areas to prevent traffic disruptions.
Enhanced police patrolling has been directed across the Mela area, with a particular focus on ensuring that traffic flow is not blocked on major routes such as Ayodhya-Prayagraj, Kanpur-Prayagraj, Fatehpur-Prayagraj, Lucknow-Pratapgarh-Prayagraj and Varanasi-Prayagraj.
Authorities have been tasked with keeping all exit routes from Prayagraj clear to facilitate devotees’ return journeys.
Devotees should be allowed to proceed based on the prevailing situation. Wherever they halt at the Mela area, proper arrangements for food and drinking water should be made available at all holding areas.
With large numbers of devotees expected to visit Varanasi, Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, and Mirzapur in the coming days, Adityanath ordered heightened vigilance in these cities.
Special holding areas have been set up at border points to manage the influx.
To streamline movement, Adityanath has directed the strategic use of barricades while also ensuring proper parking arrangements in the Mela area.
Observing the heavy rush of devotees at Prayagraj’s railway stations, Adityanath instructed officials to oversee their safe and hassle-free departure.
Officials were asked to run more special trains and extra buses from the Transport Corporation to accommodate the rush.
With the Amrit Snan scheduled for 3 February on Basant Panchami, Adityanath directed the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to review the arrangements of the Mela area on Thursday (30 January).
