Workshop on disaster management for Kumbh Mela 2015 kicks off

Police officers are getting lessons on disaster and crowd management at a workshop being organised here with view of 'Kumbh Mela' (religious congregation), which is scheduled next year.
The city will be hosting the Kumbh Mela in July 2015, wherein lakhs of people from across the globe are expected to converge on the bank of river Godavari which originates from Trimbakeshwar, 30 kms from here, and flows through Nashik.
"Millions of devotees from across the country will visit Nashik during Kumb Mela and it is necessary for police to know effective crowd management and to ensure safety of the devotees," City police commissioner Kulwant Kumar Sarangal told reporters after inaugurating the three-day workshop at the Maharashtra Police Academy (MPA) yesterday.

The event is jointly organised by the Pune-based Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (Yashada) and city police commissionerate.
Sarangal said police officers should learn the nuances of crowd management.
In previous Kumbh Mela held here in 2003-04, more than 40 devotees were killed in a stampede in Old City area.

"Any eventuality can come up during the celebrations (in Kumbh Mela). It is therefore necessary to have an action plan ready in advance to tackle such situation," the police officer said, adding that learning of disaster management techniques is necessary for various stake-holders involved in organising the religious jamboree.

The Kumbh Mela rotates among the four holy sites every three years.
The congregation is marked by millions of devotees' taking plunge into the river Godavari, which they believe would cleanse their souls leading to salvation.
A ritual bath at a predetermined time and place is the major event of the festival.