Bhubaneswar: Alarmed by the death of 19 devotees at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Saturday, Odisha police on Sunday reviewed crowd management, emergency evacuation and public safety arrangements across the state during the festive rush.DGP (in-charge) Vinaytosh Mishra directed Bhubaneswar-Cuttack commissionerate police and district SPs to revisit their crowd-control and security plans. He stressed the need to closely monitor crowd movement, respond quickly during emergencies and assess the crowd capacity of pandal areas.“While accidents can occur at any time, we are fully prepared and alert. Following the Kolkata tragedy, we have reassessed our security, crowd-management and traffic plans. Field officers have been instructed to revisit all pandals, verify compliance with safety protocols and remain extremely vigilant. They have also been asked to prevent overcrowding at pandals,” said Mishra.The DGP said police have sought the cooperation of puja committees in deploying an adequate number of volunteers to assist in crowd regulation and ensure smooth movement of devotees. “Pandal organisers, along with police personnel, must ensure that venues do not become congested,” he said.Police commissioner S Dev Datta Singh warned of strict action against any violation of prescribed safety norms. “We already held a series of meetings with puja organisers in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and issued detailed safety advisories. Any violation of the guidelines would invite stringent action. Public safety cannot be compromised under any circumstances,” said Singh.Taking a strong stance on accountability, the commissioner said organisers cannot ignore safety norms and expect the police to shoulder the entire responsibility. “There cannot be a spoon-feeding culture of pandal committees disregarding guidelines and then expecting the police to manage the consequences. Organisers must fulfil their responsibilities and strictly adhere to the safety protocols laid down for the festival,” said Singh.Police appealed to devotees to maintain discipline, follow queue systems and cooperate with police personnel to ensure a safe and smooth darshan experience.IGP (central range) Satyajit Naik said adequate static deployments and mobile police squads have been positioned at major pandals for quick response to emergencies. “Special anti-snatching and anti-eve-teasing teams have been deployed to enhance the safety and security of devotees,” Naik said.
