The Supreme Court is set to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Monday seeking the implementation of specific guidelines and regulations to ensure the safety of devotees attending the Maha Kumbh. The plea comes in the wake of a tragic stampede on January 29, which claimed at least 30 lives and left 60 others injured.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar will hear the PIL filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, as per the cause list uploaded on the apex court’s website on February 3. The petition emphasizes the need to prevent such stampede incidents and protect the fundamental rights of equality and life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The PIL has made both the Centre and all state governments parties to the case, urging them to work collectively to ensure a safe and secure environment for devotees at the Maha Kumbh. Among its key demands, the plea calls for the establishment of facilitation centres at Prayagraj by all states. These centres would provide safety information and assist residents from their respective states in emergencies.
“All states shall establish in a proper manner their facilitation centres at the Maha Kumbh. These centres shall provide and display the basic information regarding the safety measures and guidelines to the persons coming from their states. In emergencies, these centres shall be ready for any assistance,” the plea stated.
To aid pilgrims in navigating the massive event, the petition also seeks the installation of signage and announcements in multiple languages. Additionally, it proposes the use of SMSes and WhatsApp messages to disseminate safety protocols to attendees.
The plea highlights the need for better coordination between the Uttar Pradesh government and other states to ensure the availability of doctors and nurses at the venue. It also calls for the regulation of VIP movement, stressing that public safety should take precedence over VIP protocols to prevent congestion and ensure smooth crowd movement.
The petitioner has urged the Supreme Court to direct the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a status report on the January 29 stampede and initiate legal action against those responsible for negligence.
The stampede occurred on Mauni Amavasya, one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar, drawing millions of devotees to the Maha Kumbh. Tragically, such incidents are not new at religious gatherings.
The plea cited several past tragedies, including the 1954 Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, where over 800 people died due to overcrowding on a narrow bridge. Similarly, in 1986, around 200 people were killed in a stampede at Haridwar, and in 2003, 39 deaths and over 140 injuries were reported at Nashik.
The Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, rotates among four major locations: Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), and Nashik (Maharashtra).