Ranchi, July 11: After the horrific stampede last year, inter-state coordination to regulate the flow of pilgrims for the upcoming Shravani Mela was the main priority for high-level meeting of bureaucrats from Jharkhand and Bihar held at Deoghar today.
To regulate lakhs of people who time their entry to Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar on holy Mondays during Shravan, the meeting decided to scrap special entry for dak-kanwariyas (barefoot pilgrims) and shighra darshanam (VIP entry) both on Sundays and Mondays during Shravani Mela, to start on July 20, a day after its inauguration.
Last year, 10 persons were killed on August 10, a Monday, during a pre-dawn stampede on a serpentine queue to Baidyanath Dham.
To prevent any possibility of a rerun, today's meeting presided over by Santhal Pargana divisional commissioner Baleshwar Prasad Singh, in which his counterparts in Bhagalpur and Munger of Bihar, IGs of these police zones, DIGs of Dumka and Munger ranges, DCs and SPs of Deoghar and Dumka, and the neighbouring state's Banka, Munger, Bhagalpur and Jamui came, discussed how the passage for pilgrims could be made smooth during the month-long mela.
Monitoring will start from Bihar, from where most pilgrims arrive. Taking a dip in the Ganga at Sultanganj, Bihar, lakhs of pilgrims proceed to Deoghar on foot, kanwars on their shoulders. As dak-kanwariyas are not supposed to stop anywhere during their 80km-long barefoot journey to Baidyanath Dham, they usually get preference to enter the main temple. But this time, they would not get this facility on Sundays and Mondays.
Shighra darshanam will be available only from Tuesdays to Saturdays for Rs 500. The ban on VIP puja remains.
"The role of Bihar officials will be crucial. We have requested them not only to regulate kanwariyas on foot but also vehicles. Heavy vehicles, including those carrying pilgrims, should not be allowed to proceed beyond a limit and should stick to fixed routes," said Deoghar DC Arava Rajkamal after the meeting at Deoghar Circuit House.
The meeting also stressed on police deployment at strategic locations and temporary thana outposts by the Bihar government. The Jharkhand cabinet has decided to set up six temporary thanas and 14 outposts at strategic locations in its domain.
To ease coordination between Bihar and Jharkhand teams, WhatApp groups were also formed.
"Over 7,000 police personnel would be deployed. The National Disaster Response Force will also be in position to tackle any eventuality," said Dumka range DIG Deo Bihari Sharma.
Deoghar district public relations officer Dindeshwari Jha said district magistrate and SP of bordering Jamui district, Bihar, had been specifically requested to keep vigil on traffic movement in Gangaita and Batiaghati areas.
It was also agreed that pilgrims caught using intoxicants would be stopped.
Pilgrims commonly consume ganja and bhang because of the popular notion that Shiva, who resides at Baidyanath Dham in Shravan, likes them. Monday invite huge rush as it signifies the moon, which Shiva puts on his head.
