31 January 2025 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis
1. The science is clear, crowd disasters are preventable
(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)
Context |
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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 |
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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:Â 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