Stampedes mean poor policing

With some advance planning tragedies like the one at Mughalsarai recently can be averted

The stampede at Mughalsarai railway station on October 3, in which 15 women and children were killed, should never have happened. Having served in the Railway Protection Force for six years as IGP and chief security commissioner, South Central Railway, Secundrabad, I recalled two major security events I was involved in during the Godavari and Krishana Pushkarms kumbh melas, when lakhs of pilgrims throng the river towns of Vijaywada and Rajahmundry.

When huge congregations are expected, security agencies need to evolve special strategies and plan in advance. The first thing a supervisory police officer must anticipate is the possibility of stampedes. Our security arrangement was so planned that embarking and disembarking of passengers took place smoothly. When several trains arrived at the same time at a big railway station like Vijaywara, which has 12 platforms, queues were organised by deploying sufficient constables near each bogey. The deployed men ensured that passengers disembarked first before people were allowed to get on the train.We also identified a couple of passenger trains, originating from Orissa, which were likely to be jam-packed. I convinced the railway authorities to allow these trains to arrive on the first platform — normally accommodated only express and mail trains — so that crowds could be quickly cleared.

A major aspect is proper briefing. Men deployed at various duty points are generally not told what is expected of them, so they do not know how to react to a given situation. Briefing and de-briefing is a very important aspect of maintaining law and order. During the Pushkarams, which goes on for 12 days, we talked to the railway authorities to provide additional booking counters and staff were deployed to man them.

We also made full use of gadgets like loudhailers, walky-talkies, dragon searchlights, so that RPF staff could make announcements and keep in touch with senior officers. Assistance booths were opened, equipped with first-aid kits, wheelchairs, railway telephones and FIR forms. The circulating area outside the railway station was kept free and the parking area was shifted to about 400 metres away from the station, so that the crowds could move about freely. One week before the event, urchins and anti-social elements were cleared out of the station.We also took precautions against fires. The fire brigade on alert and fire-fighting equipment at hand. Anti-sabotage checks were conducted thoroughly in the railway premises by using minesweepers and sniffer dogs, with surveillance cameras fitted at all the busy points.It is only meticulous planning by senior police officers that can prevent such unfortunate and totally preventable tragedies.

The writer is Inspector General of Police, Shimla

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