Noted educationalist Professor MM Pant on Monday suggested that a toll-free number should be provided wherein those visiting the Ardh Kumbh Mela in Haridwar can give a missed call and get automatically registered with the Mela administration, adding such registered pilgrims should be provided all relevant information related to the Ardh Kumbh through a mobile phone application or video.
While speaking at a brainstorming session on utilisation of latest technology for management of Ardh Kumbh organised jointly by the Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC) and Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya here, he said that this would help the authorities make a reliable estimate of the number of visitors expected while the visitors themselves would arrive here with necessary preparations.
Pant said that controlling the vast crowds and ensuring orderly bathing is always a challenge in such major events. “The more crowded areas of the Mela area should be identified and the actual status of the crowd has to be ascertained. Data from past Mahakumbh and Ardh Kumbh Melas should be used to ascertain which areas attract more pilgrims so that necessary traffic control can be ensured.
USAC director Prof Durgesh Pant said that use of GIS database based on latest satellite imagery and detailed GPS field surveys can prove helpful in planning and management of infrastructure and resources in the Kumbh Mela area like parking space, hotels, Dharmshalas, Ashrams, bathing ghats, road network and emergency services. Help will be taken from Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre, other scientific institutions and subject experts for this, he added.
Sharing her experiences, superintendent of police, Traffic (Mela Administration) Shweta Choubey said that the biggest challenge is to control the crowd of devotees and facilitate an orderly bath for them. The maximum number of visitors to the Ardh Kumbh is generally from north India with the ceremonial baths on all important dates being fully open to the general public in absence of Shahi Snan.
She suggested GIS mapping of important places and infrastructure related to the Ardh Kumbh for ascertaining crowd movement and ensuring crowd control. Prof Abhay Saxena of Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya said that students of various colleges and universities can be trained as volunteers for assisting in the Ardh Kumbh management. Such volunteers posted at various places in the Mela area can provide varied information related to the Mela to the people.