Prayagraj: At least 250 people were lost in the dense crowd on the first day of Mahakumbh in Prayagraj on Monday. However, all of them were reunited through crowd-control measures by the fair administration, officials said. The development comes as millions of devotees thronged the city for the holy dip at the sacred Sangam on the inaugural day of the Mahakumbh.
To manage the massive gathering, the Uttar Pradesh government implemented several crowd-control strategies. These measures include ‘Bhula-Bhatka’ camps, police assistance centres, and personnel deployment on specially constructed watchtowers for the Mela.
Moreover, loudspeakers have also been placed along the ghats to continuously announce missing persons’ names, allowing quick reunions, while police and civil defence personnel actively assist pilgrims on the ground.
The inaugural day of the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj was marked by the Paush Purnima bathing festival, during which over 1.5 crore devotees converged at the sacred Triveni Sangam for a holy dip. The event will conclude on February 26.
To manage the enormous gathering, the Uttar Pradesh government implemented several crowd-control initiatives, including ‘Bhula-Bhatka’ camps, police assistance centres and deployment of personnel on specially constructed watchtowers for the Mela.
These camps feature dedicated sections for lost women and children, along with ‘Khoya-Paya’ (Lost and Found) centres equipped with digital tools and social media assistance.
According to Uttar Pradesh Police, 10 such state-of-the-art digital ‘Khoya- Paya Kendras’ have been set up across the Mela area. Equipped with modern facilities, these centres feature waiting rooms, medical rooms and refreshment areas for women and children to provide immediate assistance to the devotees, officials said.
ADG Bhanu Bhaskar earlier said each centre is fitted with 55-inch LED screens connected to a public address system, which will display live updates about lost and found persons and items. The centres will also provide essential information on ghat arrangements and routes.
The centres are digitally recording information about lost persons and items, providing informers with computerised receipts for reference and photos and details of missing persons are displayed on the 55-inch LED screens for easy identification and all centres are connected through a modern communication network.
Bhaskar said information is also being shared via Facebook, X and WhatsApp to enhance the reach of locating missing persons and lost items, noting that the digital centres will assist in locating missing children, mobile phones, purses and other belongings.”
The UP government, in its official statement, outlined the various efforts made to ensure the smooth conduct of the Mela. It emphasised that the ‘Khoya-Paya’ centres have been leveraging technology, including social media platforms, to locate separated individuals.
Meanwhile, police and volunteers at the ghats are working tirelessly to assist devotees and prevent major disruptions. The Maha Kumbh Mela, being held after 12 years, expects a footfall of 40 crore to 45 crore visitors till February 26, according to UP government estimates.
