Kerala is exploring the possibility of expanding the scope of the standard operating procedure (SOP) framed for the safe and smooth conduct of religious festivals to the conduct of closed-door events involving the participation of a sizeable crowd as well.
The move follows the bomb blast at a convention centre in Kalamassery, which claimed six lives, and the stampede on Sunday at Cusat in which four students were killed and 61 were injured.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) to submit a report within a week after looking into the possibility of making the SOP mandatory for closed-door events as well.
Detailed guideline
The SOP will specify the roles and responsibilities of the organisers and the guidelines to be followed, including who is responsible for what and who should be approached for specific needs. Further, a detailed guideline will have to be prepared taking into account the aspects of event safety, crowd management, resource management, crisis management, and emergency communication.
Though 79% of stampedes in the country have been reported during religious gatherings and from pilgrimage venues, the State has been relatively free from such tragedies. In the recent history, such incidents have been reported only from Pullumedu, near Sabarimala, in 2011 that claimed 102 lives and another from Hilltop, near Pampa, at Sabarimala in 1999 in which 52 pilgrims lost their lives. However, there were several casualties related to violent behaviour of elephants and firework accidents.
Further, though the festivals notified under Travancore-Cochin Public Health Act 1955 or mass gatherings that attract more than 50,000 people should take a Public Liability Insurance for the festival period as part of their commitment to public safety, it was not strictly followed in the State.
Section 64
Sekhar Kuriakose, Member-Secretary, KSDMA, told The Hindu that for making SOP mandatory for closed-space events, they had to be brought under Section 64 of the Disaster Management Act. “We will explore the scope for this along with addressing all issues pertaining to the smooth conduct of events in both closed-door and open-space programmes,” said Mr. Kuriakose.
