Page 5 - Maha Kumbh Mela

'Why sell excess tickets'? Delhi HC asks authorities over deadly stampede

On the day of the stampede, the chaos unfolded due to multiple factors. The primary cause was the station authorities continuing to sell tickets - issuing approximately 3,000 within just two hours

Students ferry pilgrims on 2Ws, earning up to Rs 5,000 per day at Kumbh

Young locals on motorcycles and scooters are ferrying pilgrims through massive crowds at the Kumbh Mela religious festival, creating a lucrative temporary business for students. The sea of devotees heading to Triveni Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, has paralysed regular taxi and rickshaw services from the railway station and airport, with journeys taking several hours. This has spawned an impromptu two-wheeler taxi service, with vehicles ranging from motorcycles to scooters of different brands operated by both male and female college students. The service charges range between Rs 100 and 1,000 per ride. "I saw people stuck in traffic for hours and decided to help them," said Vijay, a law student who turned his motorcycle into a taxi. "Most of the college students are riding the bike taxi and earning Rs 3,000-5,000 a day," said Peter, an unemployed postgraduate who joined the enterprise. He plans to resume job hunting after the festival ends. Even Lal Bahadur

Yogi Adityanath defends Maha Kumbh, slams opposition for criticism

The UP CM accused the opposition led by the SP of being against the Kumbh and not participating in discussion on the preparations for the festival during the last assembly session

'Maha Kumbh water is safe': Yogi Adityanath rejects contamination report

CM Yogi Adityanath also criticised the Opposition for spreading 'misinformation' about the Maha Kumbh water being unfit for bathing

Mamata Banerjee's 'Mrityu Kumbh' remark draws flak from seers, leaders

The Sant Samaj has reacted sharply to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calling the Maha Kumbh the "Mrityu Kumbh", saying her statement is an insult to Sanatan Dharma and demanding her public apology. National secretary of the Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani Mahant Jamuna Puri said it does not befit Banerjee to give such a statement from the responsible position she holds. "The Prayagraj Maha Kumbh is Amrit Parv, the divinity and grandeur of which have been seen by the whole world. She should not use such derogatory words with the name of Maha Kumbh," he said. Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Arun Giri of the Panch Dashnam Awahan Akhara strongly criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo's statement and said, "West Bengal is becoming a 'mrityu pradesh' (state of death) for Hindu Sanatanis. Thousands of Sanatanis are being massacred and lakhs of Hindus have to migrate at the time of elections." "She should worry about her state, not Uttar Pradesh. (Chief Minister) Yog

Schedule is based on muhurats: Prayagraj DM denies extension of Maha Kumbh

Prayagraj District Magistrate (DM) Ravindra Mandar on Tuesday categorically denied rumours circulating on social media regarding an extension of the Maha Kumbh Mela due to heavy crowds. Dismissing these claims, he clarified that the schedule of the event is determined on the basis of religious "muhurats" (auspicious timings) and remains unchanged. The Maha Kumbh will conclude on February 26, in accordance with its pre-decided schedule, Mandar said. "According to (Uttar Pradesh) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's instructions, the administration is ensuring a smooth travel and other arrangements for all the devotees. There is no proposal from the government or the district administration to extend the mela dates. Pilgrims should not pay heed to such misinformation," he said. The DM asserted that all necessary arrangements are in place for the remaining days of the Maha Kumbh to facilitate hassle-free bathing at the Triveni Sangam. The administration is also focused on traffic manageme

550 million devotees have taken holy dip at Maha Kumbh, says UP govt

The Uttar Pradesh government Tuesday said an unprecedented 55 crore devotees at the Maha Kumbh Mela have taken a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam. The Kumbh Mela which started on January 13 will continue till February 26 (Maha Shivratri). Half of India's 110 crore Sanatan followers have immersed themselves, and this number is expected to surpass 60 crore by the final bathing ritual on February 26, an official statement said, adding this Maha Kumbh has seen the largest participation in any religious, cultural, or social event. According to the World Population Review, Pew Research, India's population is approximately 143 crore (1.43 billion), with 110 crore (1.10 billion) followers of Sanatan Dharma, the statement said. The number of those who took bath at the Triveni Sangam represents 50 per cent of India's Sanatan followers, it claimed. Compared to India's total population, over 38 per cent of the country's people have participated in the holy dip, it said. On a global scale, acco

Maha kumbh: Prayagraj Sangam railway station to remain shut till Feb 28

Maha kumbh Updates: In the wake of recent NDLS stampede and surge in Maha kumbh crowd, the Indian Railways on Monday shut the Prayagraj Sangam railway station till Feb 28, railway officials said

Mamata Banerjee dubs Maha Kumbh 'Mrityu Kumbh': 'No arrangements for poor'

Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of 'selling religion to divide the nation' and criticised the lack of planning for the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj

People advised to travel to Mahakumbh only with reserved tickets : MP CM

CM Mohan Yadav also requested to all those travelling by roads through Rewa to be aware of all traffic situations and make arrangements for their convenient journey

Prayagraj water fails bathing standards during Maha Kumbh; key details

Maha Kumbh Mela: A CPCB report dated February 3 highlighted that faecal coliform levels at all monitored locations were above the permissible limit, indicating significant sewage contamination

'No river discharge at Maha Kumbh, toilet wastewater treated daily'

The Maha Kumbh management authorities on Monday said that they are treating wastewater from over 1.5 lakh toilets daily, ensuring zero discharge into the river. The waste management program at Maha Kumbh, which draws millions of visitors daily, is also serving as a model for large-scale events globally, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement. Special Executive Officer of Maha Kumbh Mela, Akanksha Rana, said, "The vision of a clean Maha Kumbh, inspired by PM Narendra Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath, is setting new milestones each day. Despite the massive influx of over 52 crore pilgrims, the vision of a garbage-free, plastic-free, and clean Kumbh has been successfully realized. Mahakumbh 2025 is now a model for future large-scale religious gatherings." She further highlighted that over 1.5 lakh toilets, including soak-pits, FRP, and mobile units, have been set up across the mela area. A QR code-based monitoring system ensures real-time maintenance, while jet spray cleaning ...

Datanomics: Recent stampedes highlight need for better crowd management

It is ironic that the latest accident was caused by a stampede triggered by a rush of devotees trying to board special trains meant to facilitate pilgrim travel to the Mahakumbh

Vaishnaw rules out conspiracy behind New Delhi Railway Station stampede

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Monday ruled out any conspiracy behind the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station and said there was also no extraordinary rush at the two platforms at the time of the incident. "No conspiracy looks at the moment," he said while interacting with mediapersons at Rail Bhawan here. He also said information available till now showed that there was no extraordinary rush at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday when the stampede happened. He dismissed platform change announcement as a cause of the stampede, saying, "The inquiry committee is looking into it deeply." Railway officials said the total capacity of all 16 platforms at the busy New Delhi station at any point of time is 48,000 passengers as each platform can hold 3000. "On February 15, the day of the incident, between 6 pm and 8 pm, around 12,208 unreserved tickets were sold while on other days, this number is usually around 9,600. Between 8 pm and 10 pm while on other days 8,900 unreser

Maha Kumbh: Over 13.5 mn devotees take holy dip in Sangam on Feb 17

The spiritual fervour at the Maha Kumbh remains unwavering as more than 1.35 crore devotees took a holy dip in the sacred waters of the Sangam by 8 pm on Monday. According to figures released by the Mela administration, the total number of devotees who have bathed in the Maha Kumbh since January 13 has surpassed 54.31 crore. Alongside common devotees, several political leaders and dignitaries also participated in the sacred ritual on Monday. Among them were Union Minister for Labour and Employment Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of State SP Singh Baghel and West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. "So far, 53 crore people have bathed here. This grand event is happening by the grace of the almighty," Mandaviya said Baghel also shared his experience, saying, "I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to take a holy dip at the Maha Kumbh. This is a divine blessing and a significant moment in life." He later participated in the prasad distribution programme organised by

High faecal coliform levels in Prayagraj during Mahakumbh, says CPCB

The National Green Tribunal was informed on Monday, through a report by the CPCB, that various locations in Prayagraj during the ongoing Mahakumbh were not conforming to the primary water quality for bathing with respect to the level of faecal coliform. Faecal coliform, a marker of sewage contamination, has a permissible limit of 2,500 units per 100 ml, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). A bench comprising NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Judicial Member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Expert Member A Senthil Vel was hearing the issue of preventing sewage discharge into the Ganga and Yamuna rivers in Prayagraj. The bench noted that the CPCB had filed a report dated February 3, pointing out certain non-compliances or violations. "The river water quality was not conforming to the primary water quality for bathing with respect to faecal coliform (FC) at all the monitored locations on various occasions. A large number of people bathe in the river at Prayagr

What led to New Delhi Railway Station stampede?

A devastating stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on February 15th, left at least 18 people dead and over a dozen injured. What led to this horrifying disaster? And what are authorities doing?

After deadly New Delhi stampede, railways to overhaul crowd management

To mitigate the risk of another stampede, a six-month initiative has been launched to enhance passenger safety, particularly at key stations

New Delhi station stampede: No platform tickets between 4-11 pm for a week

Authorities have announced that, starting from Monday, platform tickets will not be sold between 4 and 11 pm for a week following a deadly stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station

Highlights: Congress demands resignation of Ashwini Vaishnaw over deadly stampede at NDLS

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