PRAYAGRAJ: After the Sangam Ghat stampede early Wednesday morning, when more than 7.6 crore devotees visited the Sangam city for the Mauni Amavasya bath, a large number of pilgrims heading to the mela area in more than 2 lakh vehicles were stopped on various highways leading to the city by the district administration in coordination with their counterparts in neighbouring districts. This saved the city from slipping into chaos.
Authorities explained that allowing these vehicles into the city on Wednesday afternoon would have created additional difficulties for police managing the post-stampede situation while ensuring safe completion of the Mauni Amavasya Amrit Snan. Police continued restricting vehicle entry into Prayagraj on Thursday also to maintain orderly traffic.
Countless pilgrims, who couldn't complete their snan on Wednesday due to traffic congestion, reached various Ganga ghats and Sangam late Wednesday night or early Thursday through alternative transport means. These vehicles were halted for hours in neighbouring districts like Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Bhadohi, Chitrakoot, Jaunpur, Mirzapur and Reewa in MP.
Mela police officials, noting the substantial gathering in the tent city following the stampede incident and jam-packed parking areas within 5 km of the mela zone, worked with Prayagraj and neighbouring district police to regulate the devotees' movement.
A senior officer said: "The unprecedented arrival of devotees kept mela police personnel on their toes. As there was an unabated flow of pilgrims coming via trains, we had to alert neighbouring districts police counterparts, advising them to hold the flow of vehicles."
Pratapgarh police stopped over 10,000 vehicles at 13 designated spots along the Pratapgarh-Prayagraj highway, providing refreshments until Wednesday evening.
Kaushambi police similarly halted vehicles at Kokhraj Road, positioning stops near eateries to ensure devotees had access to refreshments. Police from Chitrakoot, Sultanpur, Jaunpur, Amethi, Rai Bareilly, Fatehpur, Bhadohi and other districts also assisted in traffic management.
Senior IPS officers joined ground forces to supervise vehicle movement.
Read more: Maha Kumbh storiesA senior police official explained their strategy of coordinated vehicle release to prevent chaos, implemented after observing severe congestion on Prayagraj routes post-stampede. Police also arranged parking in nearby fields after noticing pilgrims abandoning vehicles roadside and walking towards Sangam.
Major congestion occurred at Bargarh-Bharatkoop, Phaphamau, and Sahsoon routes throughout Wednesday. The Bundelkhand Expressway experienced similar conditions due to vehicles arriving from Madhya Pradesh.
Over 7 lakh vehicles occupied 125-plus parking areas on the periphery of the city on Wednesday.
Munna Lal Tiwari from Amethi told TOI: "My family could not move towards Sangam on Wednesday after being trapped in a massive jam near Phaphamau. We managed to enter tent city limits on Wednesday evening and did Ganga snan."
Amit Tiwari of Gurugram said: "We somehow managed to enter Prayagraj on Wednesday evening but decided to take a holy dip on Thursday to avoid the rush."
Get real-time updates on Budget 2025 and Income Tax Slabs on Times of India. Check out the latest income tax slabs FY 2025-26.Kapil Dixit is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Mass Communi...
Read MoreKapil Dixit is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Mass Communications. He has covered crime at regional as well as state level. His hobbies include reading, writing and meeting people with diverse interests.
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