Following the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, Indian Railways has decided to take intense precautionary measures. Due to the increasing crowd at the Maha Kumbh Mela, the Prayagraj Sangam railway station has been temporarily shut down till February 28.
Out of Prayagraj’s nine railway stations, only Prayagraj Sangam railway station has been closed because it is near the Maha Kumbh Nagar area. The remaining eight railway stations will, however, continue to function. They are Prayagraj Junction, Prayagraj Chheoki Junction, Naini Junction, Subedarganj, Prayag Junction, Phaphamau Junction, Jhusi, and Prayagraj Rambagh.
As per authorities, the step came into effect after the Prayagraj administration made a request in this regard to avoid the risk of any other untoward incident. The decision will help ease overcrowding in the city and the railway station, as well as ensure better crowd management.
“All concerned are informed that as per the order of Prayagraj district administration, Prayagraj Sangam station of Northern Railway (NR), Lucknow Division, will remain closed for passenger traffic from February 17 to February 28 midnight,” said Kuldeep Tiwari, senior divisional commercial manager of Lucknow Charbagh railway station in a statement.
A railway's spokesperson said earlier this particular station was closed only on the days of the bathing festivals. Meanwhile, special trains are also being run to accommodate the rising number of passengers visiting the Maha Kumbh.
Over the weekend, authorities stopped people at a large park near the station, allowing them to proceed to the station in smaller groups to prevent overcrowding. By Sunday evening, the situation had worsened, with the crowd growing significantly. At 8:20 p.m., an announcement was made advising people not to come to the station for an hour to help manage the overwhelming crowd.
(With inputs from a news report)
