Full steam forward:NDLS rampsupsecurity,crowdcontrol forChhath Pujarush

As lakhs of individuals from the Capital head in the direction of Bihar and different japanese States for Chhath Puja, which might be celebrated from October 25 to twenty-eight, New Delhi railway station (NDLS) is working at full throttle to handle one among its busiest weeks of the yr.

With over seven lakh passengers anticipated to journey, the station has deployed 850 Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel, launched 12 particular trains, and opened a brand new Yatri Suvidha Kendra (passenger comfort centre) to manage the festive rush. On a daily day, about 360 RPF personnel will deal with a footfall of 5 lakh individuals.

“Besides the 31 common trains, we’ve particular companies and can function extra ‘clone’ trains throughout rush hour,” mentioned Rakesh Sharma, station supervisor at NDLS. “Learning from the February stampede, departments have labored tirelessly for over a month to make sure that there is no such thing as a untoward incident throughout the festive season,” he mentioned.

To bolster safety, RPF personnel from neighbouring States have additionally been deployed. “We have 65 personnel on every platform and 20 on each foot overbridge to handle crowd move. There are six entry and 4 exit gates on the Ajmeri Gate facet and three every on the Paharganj facet. We are additionally escorting over 23 trains as much as Kanpur to make sure passenger security,” mentioned Yashwant Singh, Company Commander of the RPF.

Passenger motion to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh has been restricted to platforms 1 and 16, closest to the entry and exit gates, whereas different platforms will cater to common companies. “Our employees will be certain that passengers use solely the designated bridges resulting in their platforms,” he mentioned.

‘Monitoring footage’

A mini management room offers a fowl’s-eye view of the station, with 5 RPF personnel monitoring feeds from 297 CCTV cameras. “We can immediately detect crowd build-up and alert close by employees to disperse it,” mentioned a police officer. 

Medical readiness has additionally been strengthened. Teams of docs, nurses, and assist employees have been stationed on the management room, with first-aid cubicles throughout platforms. “We have a complete evacuation plan and can coordinate with close by hospitals. Ambulances and fireplace tenders are on standby,” Mr. Singh mentioned.

The newly constructed Yatri Suvidha Kendra has emerged as a key facility for crowd regulation. Constructed in simply 75 days, the spacious corridor for passengers is split into three zones: pre-ticketing, ticketing, and station entry.

“The pre-ticketing zone has consuming water and washroom amenities, together with these for individuals with disabilities. The ticketing zone homes 20 counters and 25 automated ticket merchandising machines, every staffed to help passengers,” mentioned Santosh Kumar, assistant vice-president (initiatives), DEC, the agency that constructed the ability.

“This ensures orderly queuing up, reduces congestion, and ensures a safer, smoother journey for passengers,” he mentioned.