Nearly 2 crore take holy dip on Maha Kumbh Maghi Purnima

Additional Fair Officer, Vivek Chaturvedi, informed that the turnout for the sacred bath was “unexpectedly high”, with devotees continuously arriving for the ritual. Given the massive crowd, riverbanks had been strengthened and water level management had been ensured. The police had also set up barricades and watchtowers and changing rooms had been reinforced, added officials.

In anticipation of the massive influx, Variable Messaging Displays (VMDs) were activated across the fairgrounds, providing real-time guidance and instructions to pilgrims.

The auspicious period for Magh Purnima began at 6:55 pm on Tuesday and continued till 7:22 pm on Wednesday.

Officials said real time data is being collected from toll plazas and officials of neighbouring districts so that the number of vehicles coming and the routes can be monitored and regulated.

DGP Prashant Kumar pointed out that Wednesday saw the fifth snan of the Maha Kumbh Mela, with the coming Maha Shivratri snan being the final one.

Taking lessons from the stampede on January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), the approach of ‘Build Back Better’ was adopted to ensure even more efficient management, officials said. Community feedback from officials and devotees present at the site was incorporated to enhance arrangements, leading to the safe and smooth participation of approximately 46 to 47 crore pilgrims in the Maha Kumbh so far. By 2 pm on Wednesday, around 1.83 crore devotees had taken a dip at Sangam, he said.

Kumar added that apart from Prayagraj, special attention is also being given to Chitrakoot, Mirzapur Vindhyachal Temple, Varanasi Kashi Vishwanath and Ayodhya Ram Mandir, as a number of pilgrims visiting Maha Kumbh extend their journey to these sites. The Maha Kumbh Mela area is being continuously monitored live from Lucknow and necessary instructions are being given via IIIC (Integrated Intelligence & Information Centre).

Lakhs of people are arriving from across the country and abroad. Initially, most pilgrims travelled by trains and buses, but since February 3, there has been a sharp rise in visitors using private vehicles, Kumar said. On major snan days, around 5 lakh people travelled by train, for which over 400 trains were arranged, while on regular days, approximately 3.5 lakh people commute daily, serviced by 350 trains, the DGP added.

Additionally, thousands of four-wheelers enter the city daily, making their smooth entry and exit a major challenge in crowd management. To handle this efficiently, contingency planning was also implemented.

Even on Mauni Amavasya, immediate action was taken in response to the stampede. Instances where officers carried elderly and differently abled women on their shoulders to ensure their safety have been widely covered in the media, Kumar said.

To counter misleading information on social media, a fact-checking account has been actively debunking false claims and urging people not to spread misinformation. Some individuals have been attempting to tarnish the image of Maha Kumbh by sharing unrelated incidents from other states and even foreign countries as if they occurred here. Legal action is being taken against such social media accounts, and those operating them are being identified for strict action. — with ptI inputs