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31 January 2025 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis

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1. The science is clear, crowd disasters are preventable

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)

Topic: GS3 – Disaster and disaster management
Context
  • This week, India witnessed a tragic crowd crush at the Maha Kumbh led to the deaths of 30 people.
  • Such disasters have become common worldwide at religious gatherings, concerts, and sports events.

Understanding Crowd Crushes

  • Crowd crushes occur when too many people gather in a small space, increasing density beyond safe limits.
  • Studies show that at five people per square meter, injuries become likely, and at seven people per square meter, deaths can occur.
  • In the Maha Kumbh tragedy, a large crowd behind a barrier led to dangerous compression, resulting in fatalities.
 Similar Tragedies Worldwide
  • November 2021: 10 people died at a music concert in Houston, Texas, U.S.
  • October 2022: 159 people lost their lives in a Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon, South Korea.
  • April 2023: A charity event in Sanaa, Yemen, led to 90 deaths due to overcrowding.
  • December 2024: A religious festival in Nigeria resulted in 35 fatalities.These events highlight the recurring nature of such disasters across the globe.

The Role of Governments and Event Planners

  • Many blame the victims, assuming crowds act out of control, but science disproves this.
  • Individuals in a dense crowd cannot control or perceive the overall situation.
  • Once density reaches dangerous levels, people lose the ability to breathe properly.
  • Only local governments, event organisers, and promoters can effectively manage crowd density.

Preventive Measures

Event planners and authorities can take simple and inexpensive steps to prevent crowd crushes:

  • Increase entry and exit points to allow smooth movement.
  • Stagger arrival times to prevent sudden crowd surges.
  • Keep pathways clear of obstacles that create bottlenecks.
  • Segment crowds into smaller groups to reduce dangerous clustering.
  • Example: In Times Square, New York, authorities create small sections of 100 people to control density during New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The Economic Factor and the Need for Regulations

  • In most countries, there are no strict laws requiring crowd control measures at events.
  • Event organisers have financial incentives to allow high crowd density to maximize profits from ticket sales, food, and merchandise.
  • Governments should introduce mandatory safety regulations for large events to protect lives.
  • Small changes in planning can greatly reduce risks while still allowing people to enjoy events safely.
  • Delaying action will continue to result in tragic loss of lives in preventable crowd disasters.

Conclusion

  • Crowd crushes are preventable tragedies that occur due to poor planning and high crowd density.
  • Governments and event organisers must take responsibility and implement simple, cost-effective safety measures to protect lives.
  • Enforcing regulations can prevent future disasters and ensure public safety at large gatherings.
Practice Question:  Crowd crush incidents are preventable yet recurrent across the world. Discuss the key causes and suggest measures to ensure better crowd management at large public gatherings. (150 Words /10 marks)

For more such UPSC related Current Affairs, Check Out –30 January 2025 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis

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