New Delhi, Feb 17: Two days after a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station claimed 18 lives and left 15 others injured, a PIL was filed on Monday in the Supreme Court seeking immediate action to prevent such disasters in the future.
The PIL, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, has sought a direction to the Centre and other authorities for implementation and consideration of a 2014 report of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on “Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering”.
“Issue writ of mandamus… to all respondents Union and the states to coordinate and work collectively by constituting an expert committee which shall frame guidelines and measures to prevent the incidents of stampede,” the plea said.
It also sought directions to the Indian Railways to take measures for the safety of passengers at railway stations and platforms by widening corridors, constructing broader over-bridges and platforms, ensuring easy access to platforms through ramps and escalators, during peak hours, any changes to arrival or departure platforms should be strictly avoided.
The plea said despite the availability of modern technology, artificial intelligence, and sufficient security personnel, stampedes continue to occur, reflecting a failure in preparedness and public safety measures.
It also criticized the disparity in safety efforts, questioning why high-end technology and intelligence are deployed for VIPs while common citizens remain vulnerable to such incidents.
Tight security at New Delhi railway station
Tight security measures are in place at the New Delhi Railway Station, prohibiting anyone from loitering on the foot overbridge without a valid reason, an official said on Monday.
“We have seen several people waiting or standing on the foot overbridge without any reason, causing delays for other passengers trying to reach different platforms. Now, no one will be allowed to stand on the foot overbridge without a valid reason,” a senior officer of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) told PTI.
The officer further said that many trains heading toward Prayagraj will be monitored and teams will also check the number of people on the platforms to avoid any stampede-like situation.
“From platform number 16 to platform number 13, we have deployed security personnel to monitor every train coach and manage heavy rush. Besides that, emergency response teams will be on standby in case of any requirement,” said the officer.
Delhi Police along with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) has deployed additional personnel to manage rush at the station, which remained overcrowded on Sunday with thousands of passengers struggling to board trains amid heavy rush, an officer said.
“We have set up barricades, intensified patrolling and deployed quick reaction teams to prevent any further incident. CCTV surveillance has also been enhanced, with control rooms monitoring real-time footage for crowd control,” the officer said.
Delhi Congress moves NHRC for probe
Delhi Congress on Monday filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking a probe into the stampede at New Delhi railway station where 18 people died and demanding action against the “erring officials”.
According to a statement, Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav in his complaint alleged that the tragedy happened due to the irresponsibility of the railway authorities and security forces as they took no step to manage the swelling crowd.
The railway authorities made no arrangement for crowd control in platforms, resulting in the tragic stampede. How could the railways sell 1,500 tickets per hour for passengers bound for Prayagraj without making the necessary arrangements for train coaches or crowd management, Yadav mentioned in his complaint. (PTI)