Encroachments cleared near temple days after stampede

Biharsharif: The Nalanda district administration has begun clearing illegal encroachments around the Maa Sheetla Mata Temple located at Maghra village under Deepnagar police station in Nalanda district as part of a series of measures taken after the recent stampede that claimed nine lives and left several devotees injured.

On Saturday, bulldozers were deployed to remove temporary structures and roadside stalls that had encroached upon the approach road to the temple. Officials said the drive aims to widen access routes and improve crowd movement during religious gatherings.




The administration has also taken over the management of the temple. Biharsharif sub-divisional officer (SDO) has assumed charge of the shrine under provisions of the Bihar Hindu Religious Trust Board Act, officials said. The decision was taken following the stampede that exposed lapses in crowd management and temple arrangements.

The incident occurred during the early morning rush of devotees on March 31 this year. Nine devotees lost their lives, while several others sustained injuries in the chaos.

Nalanda SP Bharat Soni said police have registered FIRs against 40 persons, including priests and members of the suspended management committee. He said some of them have been nabbed in connection with the incident and an investigation is underway to ascertain responsibility for the lapses. He added several persons have been questioned and arrests have been made in the case.

Nalanda DM Kundan Kumar said the administration has started reviewing safety arrangements at the temple. “Ensuring the safety of devotees is our priority. Measures such as barricading, regulated entry and better crowd management will be implemented,” he said.

Additional police personnel have been deployed around the temple premises, and the district administration has initiated a comprehensive review of crowd control mechanisms to prevent a recurrence of such incidents in the future.