After 2025 stampede, control room, CCTVs, curbs at Lairai jatra this year

Bicholim: With the Devi Lairai jatra due in Shirgao on April 21, where a stampede killed six persons last year, North Goa collector Ankit Yadav held a high-level coordination meeting on Saturday to review and strengthen arrangements for this year’s event.

Key decisions taken include implementation of a one-way movement system, removal of encroachments and stalls from main corridors, installation of an extensive CCTV camera surveillance, and establishment of a joint command and control room for real-time supervision.

It was decided to regulate entry through staggered time slots supported by public address systems, strengthen police deployment at critical points, and create designated holding areas.




Requisite medical aid posts, clear ambulance corridors, and round-the-clock fire safety arrangements will be ensured, officials said.

“The meeting focused on learning from last year’s tragedy and addressing site-specific risk factors, particularly crowd congestion on the approach roads. Detailed discussions were held on crowd management, safety measures, infrastructure preparedness, and inter-departmental coordination,” officials said.

The temple committee has been told to undertake systematic orientation and training of Dhond devotees and volunteers, emphasising discipline, queue management, and safety protocols, officials said and added that a comprehensive do’s and don’ts will be circulated for public awareness.

Besides Yadav, North Goa SP Harish Madkaikar, additional collector Pravin Parab, and officials from departments of fire and emergency services, health, PWD, electricity, panchayats along with temple managing committee attended the meeting.

The PWD, electricity department, and panchayats were directed to complete road repairs, lighting arrangements, electrical safety inspections, and removal of unauthorised structures well in advance. Traffic and parking management plans are being finalised in coordination with local bodies.

The collector said that strict adherence to the approved safety and crowd management plan is mandatory and warned that failure to implement the measures will invite stringent administrative action.

Temple committee president Dinanath Gaonkar said that the collector explained how each department will help them to celebrate the jatra by adopting all precautions.

He said that before taking a decision, the collector took into consideration the views of the temple committee members, besides sarpanchs of Shirgaon, Poira, Assonora and Mayem and prominent locals. It has been decided that the Dhond community should attend the jatra alone without their family members and if at all they wish to bring their family members then they can do so prior to the jatra to fulfill the rituals like ‘ooti’ by women.

Gaonkar said vendors will not be allowed to erect stalls outside the temple property and will be marked 10m area on either side adjacent to the homkhand venue to maintain proper access to the devotees. He also said that electrical connections will not be given to the stalls unless the collector grants the permission.

The temple committee president said the process to finalise the CCTV camera points is in progress.

He said if the Dhond community and the public cooperate then the jatra can be celebrated smoothly.