Kolkata rewrites Durgā Pūjā pandal rules after the Chorbagan stampede
After the 17 October stampede at Chorbagan Sarbojanin that killed 19 and injured 25, the Forum for Durgotsab, which represents about 400 committees, and Kolkata Police issued new rules.
- Outlook
After the 17 October stampede at Chorbagan Sarbojanin that killed 19 and injured 25, the Forum for Durgotsab, which represents about 400 committees, and Kolkata Police issued new rules. There will be no separate VIP queues, VIP vehicles must stay away, visitors cannot shelter inside pandals during rain, public-address announcements will be monitored, and entry and exit routes must stay clear.
A police and fire department committee will audit the major pandals.
Key data
Each pandal needs at least 10 raincoats and walkie-talkies, and each zone an ambulance. 7 people arrested so far, including the committee secretary and vice-president. Compensation of ₹25 lakh and a Group D job from the state, plus ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF.
Why it matters
These are the first binding crowd-safety norms for Bengal's biggest festival, brought in mid-festival and just before the immersions.
GK: did you know?
UNESCO inscribed "Durga Puja in Kolkata" on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2021.
