The historic Gandhi Maidan would be segregated into four barricaded segments having separate entries and exits for better crowd management during big events.

Two separate pathways would be earmarked in each segment for entering and leaving the ground to avoid rush at the entry and exit points. In case of separate events in the four segments, visitors would not be able to hop from one to the other. They would have to come out of each one to go to the other.

In a bid to avoid any tragedy in the future, the move to ensure better crowd management was taken by the Gandhi Maidan committee dedicated to look after its maintenance, beautification and security. The stampede on the day of Dussehra at the Gandhi Maidan had left 33 dead and several others injured. Rumour of a live wire had triggered chaos, prompting the tragedy.

Headed by divisional commissioner Narmadeshwar Lal, the Patna district magistrate, the senior superintendent of police, Patna Municipal Corporation commissioner and the building construction department engineer-in-chief are the other members of the Maidan committee.

Patna district magistrate Abhay Kumar Singh told The Telegraph: “Gandhi Maidan would be divided into four parts so that people of one section cannot enter other sections. They would be separated by barricades but the nature of the barricading has not yet been finalised.”

On the benefit of the segregation, Singh said: “Once the ground is divided into four parts, managing the huge number of people who throng the Maidan during events would become easier. At present, visitors can enter and exit the Maidan from any direction. But after the barricading, people would have to leave from their chosen side of the Maidan through a designated exit.”

He added: “At times, several events are organised simultaneously. People take the liberty of moving from one function to another. After the segregation, people would have to come out of the venue of a function through the designated exit and re-enter the venue of another event through a different gate.”

Taking a lesson from the Dussehra stampede, the district administration had hired private security guards for the safety at the ground. The panel had earlier taken a decision to widen the existing nine gates from 16ft to 25ft. It had also decided to construct a 6ft-wide side gate and a watchtower near each gate. The building construction department has floated tenders for the jobs but an agency is yet to be chosen.

The government is also mulling over constructing a jogging track inside the Maidan for the walkers.