Punjab Rail Tragedy : Need for safety protocols

The Amritsar disaster shows that the government departments have not yet taken official protocols for safety at mass gatherings seriously.

Background :

• The tragedy took place at the backdrop of dussehra celebrations in Amritsar.
• Scores of men, women and children of a migrant settlement adjoining a railway track had gathered to watch the effigy of Ravana being burnt.
• As the effigy went up in flames, the organisers asked people to move back.
• Many of them got on to the tracks on an embankment to get a better view.
• The sound of the burning crackers from the effigy was so loud that the people on the railway track could not hear the approaching train which ran over the onlookers.
• They failed to notice the approaching train and were crushed under its wheels.

Concerns :

• The tragedy could have been an entirely preventable carnage, had the efforts been properly taken.
• But there is a frantic effort to pin responsibility on agencies and individuals, and there are efforts to exploit public anger for political ends.
• It points to the basic failure of the district administration and the police, which should have ensured law and order.
• Though the reports suggest that the organisers of the event had obtained a no-objection certificate from the police, the role of the law enforcement machinery in crowd control becomes questionable.
• The Municipal Corporation in Amritsar has tried to distance itself, claiming that its permission was not sought, although almost everyone in the city knew it was taking place.

Measures Needed :

• Inquiry - The magisterial inquiry ordered by the Punjab government should examine the actions of the revenue authorities and the police in organising the event.
• It should also examine whether rules were ignored to favour the organisers who claimed proximity to some politicians.
• Role of NDMA - Religious festivals in India are often overshadowed by deadly incidents such as stampedes and fires.
• The National Disaster Management Authority has responded to these horrors by creating a guide for State governments and local bodies.
• It also lays down a clear protocol to be followed for mass gatherings and festivals.
• But whether this was followed by the Amritsar authorities in the planning of the Dasara celebrations is one of the questions that must be addressed.
• Planning - There should be a transformation of the way in which such events are organised, with a lead agency in each State and district empowered to issue instructions, and in turn be accountable for public safety.
• Also, there is a serious deficit of common spaces in cities, towns and villages to conduct spectacular events safely.
• This is incongruous in a populous country with a tradition of festivals and cultural gatherings.
• Awareness - At Amritsar, trespass on the track was the prime reason for the accident.
• A campaign to educate the public that railway tracks cannot be treated as commons, and vigorous enforcement, will reduce the probability of such incidents.
• The Railways must identify hazard spots for train movement in heavily built-up areas and prevent trespass by barricading them.
• Thus a culture of safety around these issues can take root if the governments serve as a responsible leader in this regard.
   

By: Harman Sandhu