Disaster Management Plans

MGEM (Mass Gathering Event Management)

Bihar has a very rich historical and cultural past. Owing to its around 11 crore population, there are mass gathering events religious or cultural in nature being organized at various levels involving large number of people. In such situations, governments and administration seem to be struggling to make fool proof arrangements for such events. Due to unforeseen circumstances, there have been many unfortunate incidents happening causing loss of lives, damage of property, mental agony etc.

In large congregations, many people go missing, and in some cases die in instances such as stampedes, fires and collapse of buildings. Bihar has witnessed some of the most unfortunate events consecutively in past three years in events of mass gathering, which resulted in many casualty and injury. Given the high population density, number of such events and multi-hazard nature of Bihar, the state needs a planning and management of such events with a target of zero casualties. Since administration holds the end-to-end responsibility of organizing such events, it needs to be oriented, sensitized and trained on various components of Mass Gathering Event Management. This will help the coordinate better with numerous stakeholders and plan the event with zero-casualty target.

An event of Mass Gathering is characterized by unprecedented crowed gathering in a very limited area for a specific purpose for a limited duration of time. Bihar witnesses a number of such events such as Chhath Puja, Pitra-Paksha Mela, Harihar Kshetra (Sonpur) Mela, Durga Puja, Eid etc. where many thousands of people gather at a place for specific purpose. Unfortunately, on three of such occasions in last three consecutive years, Bihar has undergone some of the most horrific experiences resulting from stampede and killing many. Any such planning requires huge human resources, infrastructure and a very high degree of coordination between different stakeholders. At the same time onus is on the administration to take such events to a logical end without any casualty, mishap or property loss.

A Case Study of MahaKumbh, 2013, Allahabad

A Case Study on Chhath Puja, 2013

World Yoga Convention, 2013

A case study of Sonepur Mela, 2013