Dehradun, Jul 31 (PTI) The Uttarakhand Tourism Department will prepare a master plan focusing on crowd management at religious places and pilgrimage sites in the state, according to an official order.
The step has been taken in view of the recent stampede at the Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar that claimed nine lives.
An order to this effect was issued recently by Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu to the Tourism Secretary on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami following the tragic incident.
On July 27, nine devotees were killed and 29 others were injured in the stampede which broke out in a narrow stairway leading to the Mansa Devi temple situated atop a hill in Haridwar.
CM Dhami who reached Haridwar immediately after the incident to take stock of the situation had asked officials to prepare a detailed master plan for the security of devotees visiting major religious places, crowd control, entry-exit system and other necessary facilities.
“A master plan will be made for all the pilgrimage sites for the safety and convenience of the pilgrims. The journey will be made more organized by developing public facilities around the pilgrimage sites,” Dhami had said.
The Tourism Secretary has been asked to initiate steps towards working out the master plan at the earliest. The master plan will especially include pilgrimage sites visited by a large number of pilgrims.
Help from the Divisional Commissioners of both Garhwal and Kumaon regions should be taken in preparing the master plan and for its implementation, the order issued by the principal secretary said.
Illegal encroachments en route to the pilgrimage sites should be removed on a priority basis, it said.
The master plan will include major points like crowd control system, development of carrying capacity, separate entry and exit routes, emergency evacuation arrangements, additional space for waiting, clean drinking water, toilets, first aid, well-organized information and guidance system, parking arrangements and deployment of adequate security forces. PTI ALM NB
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