PANAJI
Taking note of last year’s fatal stampede at the Shirgao Zatra, the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Tuesday directed local petitioners to coordinate with the Deputy Collector and identify potential stampede-prone locations on the official layout map of the area to help authorities plan crowd management measures.
The court said the petitioners should visit the Deputy Collector’s office and indicate on the official map the specific points where crowd pressure could build up or where a stampede may occur.
Once these locations are identified, the Deputy Collector has been asked to immediately initiate preventive steps and plan crowd regulation measures at those spots.
Local residents had sought the formation of a joint task force and requested an on-site inspection of the zatra venue to assess safety concerns.
However, the court rejected the request, observing that the exercise could be effectively carried out by marking vulnerable points on the official map rather than conducting a physical inspection.
The hearing was held in the backdrop of last year’s tragic stampede at Shirgao, that saw five devotees killed and several injured.
During the hearing, the Advocate General Devidas Pangam appearing for the state government, assured the court they were treating the issue with utmost seriousness and had already begun planning preventive measures to ensure the safety of devotees and prevent a repeat of the incident.
