Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for crowd management and maintaining law and order in large-scale events in the state. The SOP has been issued so that an incident like the stampede in Hathras does not happen again.
According to the SOP, permission for the event will be given only after assessing the threat. Senior officials will have to visit the spot themselves and inspect the venue. The route of movement of the guests with graded security and special guests will be kept separate from the route of the general public. A gazetted officer and local magistrate will be appointed in-charge.
In fact, large crowds also gather in international cricket matches, malls, railway stations, political and spiritual events. Therefore, there is also a possibility of stampede in these ceremonies. Therefore, adequate and advance preparation is needed to deal with any emergency and disaster related to the crowd.
The DGP said, “In line with the recommendations of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for effective crowd management, we have prepared an SOP at the headquarters level to prevent disasters and emergencies during large-scale events.” According to the SOP, an integrated system will be developed at the Commissionerate, District, Range, Zone level in view of crowd-borne disaster. It will be continuously updated by DM, CMO, Civil Defense, Fire, various voluntary organizations and local police. All departments related to disaster management will conduct regular rehearsals. Apart from this, special arrangements will be made for security and traffic management during big events organized in the police line. All hospitals will also be kept ready so that immediate treatment can be given in case of any emergency. DGP Prashant Kumar has ordered that the integrated system be updated and upgraded every year in view of local conditions. Resources and equipment for security, crowd control and traffic operations should be checked daily in special events in police lines and personnel should be trained for this. Apart from this, it was also ordered that all government and private hospitals at district, range and zone level should be identified. The venue of the event should be inspected with senior officials, local magistrate and responsible officials.
At the same time, the DGP said that the officers giving permission and the local police should check in advance that there is no danger at the venue. The movement of people there is safe. An emergency plan should be prepared based on the assessment of potential dangers such as fire, electricity, road accident and respiratory obstruction. Coordination should be made with all departments. Complete information about the program and the estimated number of people coming there should be collected. A demand letter for police, PAC, central force, officers and resources required for security and traffic should be prepared. Strong barricading should be done.
He further said that monitoring should be done through CCTV at the venues. Operational control rooms should be made. A gazetted officer (local magistrate) should be appointed in-charge for the management of the program. Proper briefing of the force to be deployed on duty should be done. Adequate fire fighting arrangements should be made along with public address system. Anti-social elements spreading rumors should be monitored. Arrangements for light, drinking water and ambulance should be made at the venue. Arrangements for crowd movement and parking should be made as per the crowd control plan. The entry and exit routes of guests should be kept separate. There should be separate routes for the public.
In case of stampede, ambulances should be arranged in coordination with the medical department for treatment. Green corridors should be prepared for them. Action should be taken in coordination with the local administration to transport the dead from the incident site and hospital to their homes and for the last rites. Assessing the need, the help of local field unit, fire brigade, BDS team, flood unit and SDRF should also be taken. Proper briefing should be done to the media so that no wrong facts or rumours are spread.
