Bhubaneswar: In the wake of a deadly stampede that claimed 19 lives at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, authorities in Odisha have intensified efforts to safeguard devotees during the ongoing festival, integrating large-scale deployments with hands-on training to prevent similar tragedies.
On Monday, Urban Police District, in coordination with the Directorate General of Fire Services, Home Guards & Civil Defence, Odisha, conducted a mock drill on advanced first aid and safe evacuation procedures to strengthen emergency preparedness during the ongoing Puja festival.The drill tested coordination between police and Special Rescue Unit personnel in simulated emergency situations, including medical emergencies and rapid, safe evacuation of crowds from festival venues.
These units, specially trained in Basic Life Support, CPR, oxygen administration, crowd management and complex rescues, form a core part of the state’s readiness strategy. Eight such teams have already been positioned at key spots across the state capital, prepared to intervene swiftly amid the throngs of devotees visiting the city’s roughly 193 pandals.
The measures build on directives issued a day earlier by DGP (in-charge) Vinaytosh Mishra, who urged puja committees statewide to enforce queue-based darshan systems and carefully regulate entry and exit points to avoid dangerous overcrowding in confined spaces. Mishra stressed that while celebrations in cities like Bhubaneswar, Kataka, Baleshwar, Raurkela and Sambalpur draw massive crowds, organisers must deploy sufficient volunteers and keep pathways clear for emergency vehicles.
Police have stationed static guards, mobile units and striking forces for crowd control, law and order, and traffic management, while ensuring ambulances and fire engines face no obstacles. Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh reinforced that primary responsibility for devotee safety rests with the committees themselves. Detailed guidelines cover volunteer deployment, CCTV installation and orderly conduct, with warnings of strict action for any lapses.
Fire Services IG Umashankar Dash noted that each Special Rescue Unit comprises four to five skilled members equipped for respiratory arrests, serious injuries and oxygen support, underscoring the multi-agency approach.
Local organisers have responded positively. At the Rasulgarh Durga Puja, committee president Prakash Routray reported engaging 60 volunteers to maintain strict queues both inside and outside the pandal. Similar enhanced vigilance is underway in other districts, with Central Range IG Satyajit Naik directing superintendents in Khordha, Nayagada, Kataka Rural, Puri, Kendrapada, Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur to curb overcrowding and manage shelter-seeking crowds during rains.
