In the wake of a stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Saturday, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has reiterated directions for a comprehensive safety audit of such pandals across the state. Electrical installations, structural safety, fire prevention, emergency exits and crowd management will be inspected as part of the exercise.
Police commissioners, district magistrates and district police chiefs have been asked to inspect pandals and verify safety arrangements. Senior officials have also been instructed to remain in the field and ensure that any shortcomings identified during inspections are addressed promptly. The directions place responsibility on senior district administration and police officials to verify compliance through physical inspections rather than relying solely on assurances from organisers. They have been asked to monitor arrangements personally and take corrective action wherever deficiencies are found. The reiteration of the chief minister’s directions underscores the importance of preventive checks at temporary religious venues, where electrical faults, unstable structures, inadequate evacuation routes and poorly managed crowds can combine to turn an emergency into a major casualty event.
Uttar Pradesh director general of police Rajeev Krishna said the CM had issued the directions earlier and subsequently instructed officials to ensure strict compliance.
