New Delhi: As large crowds are expected at Delhi’s Durga Puja celebrations, TOI assessed Sunday afternoon safety arrangements and found gaps in crowd management, particularly at exit points.TOI visited two pandals in CR Park and one in Greater Kailash (GK). Heavy traffic congestion was observed in the surrounding areas, with vehicles caught in long queues and roads packed with cars, while pedestrians struggled to make their way through the crowds.At the pandals, ropes and bamboo poles had been tied across passages to manage visitors leaving the premises, while barricades and iron rods had been installed to create narrow lanes. In some places, makeshift arrangements, including cloth ropes, were used to guide visitors. Discarded chairs and sandbags also lay near an entry and exit point.Although the crowds were relatively thin in the afternoon, the arrangements indicated difficulties in managing the rush in the evening when visitors throng pandals.At the corporate ground Puja pandal in CR Park, the long queue at the entrance appeared to be better managed. However, the exit arrangements remained a concern, with vehicles passing close to the exit and no clearly defined separation between pedestrian and vehicular movement. Chairs and other materials were piled up near the entrance, reducing the clear space available for visitors. A yellow tarpaulin hung over part of the structure, while wires crossed overhead.At the exit, a security guard struggled to manage the crowd amid the movement of vehicles. Visitors pushed against one another as they attempted to leave, with some jumping over the rope barriers to get through.Traffic congestion added to the concerns, with most pandals located close to roads where vehicles continued to pass even as visitors queued up to enter. This led to congestion and left limited space for people to move safely.At Kali Mandir, the entry point appeared relatively clean, with people queuing in a zigzag formation to allow visitors to reach the temple. However, the queue extended only up to the stairs leading to the entrance, creating a slightly chaotic situation.In GK-II, footfall was low when TOI visited. While iron barricades were used at some entry points to guide visitors, the exit arrangements appeared less organised, with cloth ropes being used to direct movement and an elderly security guard stationed at the exit.The pandal’s location next to a main road, coupled with the absence of a clearly defined crowd-control system at the exit, raised concerns about visitor safety. With footfall expected to increase in the evening, the arrangements could pose challenges in managing a sudden surge of visitors.Delhi Police has heightened security measures in view of the Kolkata stampede that claimed 19 lives. They are directed to ensure that there is no overcrowding and that crowds are properly regulated; encroachments that could lead to crowding will be removed.Meanwhile, the police have deployed the Shishtachar Squad to ensure that no women or girls are harassed. The Fire Department has also deployed 53 quick response teams, along with fire tenders, to prevent any untoward incidents at Ramlila grounds across the city.
