The Allahabad High Court has expressed serious concern over the recent stampede-like incidents in Mathura, which have resulted in injuries and loss of life during auspicious occasions, and has asked the district authorities whether they have put in place a comprehensive plan for crowd and crisis management in the city.
The single-judge Bench of Justice Vinod Diwakar further sought details from the district administration regarding the strategies, management principles, and preparedness mechanisms adopted to handle such disasters, including measures for stakeholder sensitisation and institutional capacity building through training and awareness.
The High Court made these observations while hearing a petition filed by Swami Shiv Swarupanand Ji Maharaj against the State of Uttar Pradesh and the Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority (MVDA), accusing the authorities of adopting a ‘pick-and-choose’ approach in carrying out demolitions. Terming the action as discriminatory and arbitrary, the petitioner alleged that although demolition orders had been issued against 23 properties over alleged unauthorised constructions, enforcement had been selectively carried out only against the petitioner and a few others.
The High Court directed the MVDA to file a comprehensive affidavit, giving specific details on the status of demolition proceedings against all 23 properties; the number and particulars of properties booked for unauthorised construction over the past five years; and the policy framework, statutory guidelines, standard operating procedures, and administrative mechanisms put in place by MVDA to prevent, regulate and curb such constructions.
Expanding the scope of the matter, the Court observed that the heavy influx of devotees during festivals in Mathura led to severe overcrowding, posing serious risks to public safety, especially at historically significant sites. It further noted that unauthorised constructions compounded the problem by obstructing emergency response and rescue operations during such incidents.
The single-judge Bench directed the District Magistrate to clarify whether any expert body existed in the district to study crowd behaviour, coordinate among stakeholders with clearly defined responsibilities and roles, and develop effective methodologies for crowd management. It further sought information on whether any institutional research, scientific study or academic analysis had been conducted on the recent incidents.
If any such exercise had been taken, the Court sought details of their scope, methodology, findings, and recommendations, along with the extent to which such insights have been either considered or implemented to prevent such incidents in future. The High Court also directed the Municipal Commissioner and the Senior Superintendent of Police to outline measures taken to ensure that the city remained safe to live in.
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