PANAJI
In the aftermath of the tragic stampede, fresh revelations have put the spotlight squarely on the Temple Committee for its alleged glaring failure to provide basic crowd control measures.
Sources told The Goan that standard protocol mandates police to meet with event organisers in advance to assess the expected crowd size and chalk out security arrangements. While such a meeting did take place, including the Deputy Collector in attendance, insiders revealed that key safety measures requested in writing such as installation of CCTV cameras, placement of barricades, directional signage, and a functional public address system were all ignored.
“We expected better cooperation. Not a single CCTV camera was installed in the area where the stampede broke out. Had it been there, we could have identified the trigger and intervened on time... The Temple Committee was requested in writing to provide the safety measures during the pre-Zatra meeting,” said a senior official familiar with the planning.
In fact, no volunteer force was also present to guide the crowds. “It’s not just about putting equipment on the ground... You need people on the ground. You need people with megaphones talking to the crowd, keeping them calm, guiding them,” the source added.
Sources indicated that another major lapse was the absence of pressure-point analysis. Rope partitions with constables stationed at intervals, a tried-and-tested method to prevent crowd surges, were missing.
