Patna: A high-level meeting was convened on Tuesday at the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA) auditorium to discuss measures for preventing stampede incidents and enhancing disaster management across the state. The meeting, chaired by BSDMA Vice-Chairman Dr Uday Kant, was attended by authority members P.N. Rai, Kaushal Kishore Mishra, Narendra Singh, and Prakash Kumar.
Senior officials from various stakeholder departments, including Home, Health, Urban Development and Housing, Energy, Road Construction, Transport, Tourism, Art and Culture, Revenue and Land Reforms, Home Guard Corps-cum-Fire Services, Civil Defence, the Patna Municipal Corporation, as well as representatives from the National and State Disaster Response Forces (NDRF and SDRF), participated in the discussions. Key topics included crowd control, safety protocols, emergency services, misinformation management, budget provisions, awareness campaigns, and disaster mitigation strategies.
Key Measures Discussed
Strengthening Event Safety Strategies
- Mandatory pre-planning, timely implementation, and regular mock exercises for religious and mass gatherings.
- Adoption of the Gold Commander system, assigning a Chief Commander (Gold Commander) and Deputy Commander (Silver Commander) at each event venue.
- Improved coordination among police, municipal bodies, health services, electricity, water supply, and emergency response units.
Technical and Administrative Interventions
- Enhanced CCTV monitoring for real-time crowd management.
- Dissemination of timely and accurate information via control panels and public address systems to prevent misinformation and panic.
- Specialised police training and adequate personnel deployment.
Learning from Past Incidents
- Analysis of previous stampede incidents to develop a more effective crowd management strategy.
- Adoption of best practices in crowd control for religious, cultural, and social events.
- Inclusion of local stakeholders, volunteers, and disaster management teams in security planning.
Leadership Comments
BSDMA Vice-Chairman Dr Uday Kant stressed the importance of robust pre-planning and vigilance in preventing stampedes. He highlighted the need for well-equipped control panels, sound systems, police deployment, and misinformation countermeasures. He also called for the integration of AI-driven tools such as remote sensing and machine learning for better surveillance and crowd management.
Authority member P.N. Rai underscored the significance of proactive planning in disaster prevention, advocating for the identification of potential hazards, improved logistics, fire safety measures, evacuation routes, and first aid provisions.
Jitendra Singh Gangwar, Director General of Civil Defence, emphasised the necessity of interdepartmental coordination to ensure effective crowd control. He supported the adoption of the Gold Commander System to establish a clear command structure for swift decision-making during emergencies.
Following extensive discussions, all participating departments agreed to initiate statewide training programs on crowd management and disaster mitigation, bolster emergency services through appropriate budget allocations, and implement stringent safety protocols during upcoming events such as Durga Puja, Chhath Puja, and Muharram.
BSDMA Secretary Waris Khan and other senior officials from stakeholder departments were present at the meeting. The proceedings were conducted by Senior Advisor Dr Jeevan Kumar.
