Kolkata Durga Puja Celebrations Under Scrutiny After Stampede Claims 19 Lives

KOLKATA: The deadly crush at a Durga Puja venue in Kolkata has prompted a fresh review of crowd management across the city, putting organisers under pressure to balance public safety with the continuation of one of Bengal’s biggest annual celebrations.

Nineteen people lost their lives in the incident at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal on Saturday night.

In the aftermath, several prominent puja committees moved to restrict access temporarily while the police intensified checks at venues expected to draw large numbers of visitors.

Among the pandals that suspended entry for a short period were Chetla Agrani, Suruchi Sangha, Tala Pratyay and Santosh Mitra Square.

Access was restored after a gap of roughly two to three hours, as officials and organisers reassessed the arrangements.

Organisers face difficult choices

The tragedy has left puja committees confronting a difficult question: how can celebrations continue without exposing visitors to another dangerous crowd surge?

Sajal Ghosh, a BJP MLA who heads the Santosh Mitra Square puja committee, said the incident had shaken him deeply. He maintained that the authorities would have to establish where the failures occurred and who was responsible.

His committee had attempted to control the gathering by switching off microphones and announcements during its ‘Vande Mataram’-themed presentation.

Following police instructions, the organisers opted to reduce the duration of the light-and-sound programme rather than discontinue it altogether. The arrangement, however, remained subject to further assessment.

At Kashi Bose Lane, organiser Somen Dutta said the committee had acted on police recommendations after an inspection of the site.

One of the measures introduced following the visit was an improvement in lighting to make the area safer and easier to monitor.

Seven crowded venues receive special attention

Police have identified seven pandals where crowd pressure, restricted access routes or concerns over management warrant particular vigilance.

These include Santosh Mitra Square, College Square, Hatibagan Sarbojonin, Tala Pratyay, Ballygunj Cultural, Tridhara and Kendua Shanti Sangha.

At Hatibagan Sarbojonin, the organisers said a special police team examined the arrangements before visitors were permitted to enter.

Such inspections are intended to identify potential bottlenecks and reduce the risk of overcrowding.

Seven experienced IPS officers—Murlidhar Sharma, Rupesh Kumar, Priyabrata Roy, Dipak Sarkar, Miraz Khalid, Soumya Roy and Tarun Haldar—have also been assigned responsibilities as part of the intensified security effort.

Government orders wider safety review

The state government has constituted a three-member team to examine safety measures at other puja venues.

The panel comprises Rajesh Sinha, Secretary of the State Disaster Management Department; Anuj Sharma, Director General of Fire Services; and Javed Shamim, Additional Director General of the Special Task Force.

The team has been asked to inspect the remaining pandals and submit its findings. After a high-level meeting, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the police were taking steps to prevent a recurrence of the Chorebagan disaster and stressed the need for continued alertness.

The government has also urged puja committees to comply with police directions, even if doing so requires changes to customary celebrations.

Where the circumstances demand it, organisers may conduct religious rituals with priests alone and keep the premises closed to the public. Devotees could instead watch proceedings on LED screens installed outside the pandals.

For organisers, the priority now is to ensure that the festive crowds can be managed safely.

The tragedy has made clear that elaborate displays and large public gatherings must be accompanied by effective crowd control, clear entry and exit routes, and close coordination with the police.