Nexus of Good: Organising a wonder!

Organising ‘melas’ at scale is not an easy task. Over the years, Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj Sangam has been organised successfully on account of meticulous planning and execution. However, not much is known about the not-so-prominent melas like the one on the banks of the holy Ganga at Garhmukteshwar in Hapur District. The headquarters of the district in Uttar Pradesh is located about 60 km east of New Delhi.

The fair held on Kartik Purnima in Garhmukteshwar not only holds mythological importance, but has also been a tourist destination for centuries. It is believed that post the Mahabharata war, Lord Krishna inspired the Pandavas to come here and pray for their beloved departed souls. Every mela appears to have been recorded since then, and the one held in 2022 was the 5,622nd mela post Mahabharata.

Lakhs of people from surrounding districts, and even from adjoining states, visit this mela every year. These visitors stay here for a week, settling in temporary tent cities. They indulge in a variety of rituals like ‘mundan’ and settling marriages and prayers for the departed souls.

The Garh Mela organised last year was visited by 35 lakh devotees. A six km long ghat over a 22 km square area was utilised for the purpose of this mela. The district administration faced a number of challenges. One of the initial challenges was to manage the traffic inflow from over 12 districts. Joint intensive meetings and deliberations with the Amroha District team and Meerut Mandal team helped. However, the major challenge was a temporary construction on a sandy loamy floodplain which got washed every year. This challenge was exacerbated on account of bottlenecks at entry and exit points of mela in terms of inflow and outflow of traffic. There were other associated problems around cleanliness, waste disposal, constricted roads, and vehicles being stuck in wet bogs. These, too, required attention. There was a general belief that this mela was not pilgrim-friendly because of the hours of traffic jams that had marred the mela during previous years.

It was in the aforementioned context that a young IAS officer Medha Roopam got posted as the DM in April 2022. She got going almost immediately. She visited the mela area to make a first-hand assessment and then got down to business. Recognising the need to take care of congestion on roads, one of the initial steps was to ensure widening of roads. A 60-feet wide road ensured smooth movement inside the mela area. The focus on roads was also extended to bottleneck areas where three additional roads were constructed. Special method of road construction had to be adopted, as two new roads were built on river/’naala’ inlets. These also helped keep a dedicated lane for people on foot, with separate entrance and exit points. On the lines of arrangements in Kumbh, to prevent the cars getting stuck in the sand, chequered plates were used. This move prevented traffic jams. It also cut down the travelling time to the mela area. Parking spaces and their management also made a huge difference, with the Regional Transport Office and the Police playing a critical role. To prevent unauthorised parking, cranes and tractors were deployed to tow away such vehicles. All these activities were closely monitored at the highest level in the district.

As families came and stayed for long durations, sanitation was a major issue in the tent city. Hence, the district team worked tirelessly and ensured that cleanliness was focused upon in a mission mode. A total of 1,650 toilets and changing rooms were set up in the tent city, and a force of 730 sanitary men and women was deployed. 155 large green dustbins were placed all around the city. Eight ACE door-to-door collection vehicles, two refuse-composters and dumper trucks regularly picked up the waste. Sewer jetty machines were used to ensure cleanliness throughout the mela. Close monitoring ensured effective implementation. A reserve team was kept to ensure that the waste collection system was flawless and the waste was collected regularly and taken out of the mela area every day.

For safety and security purposes, especially to make the mela safe for women and children, over 150 CCTV cameras were installed and 35 high mast lights were put up along with local lighting. This ensured that no area of the mela was left unlit. Apart from this, special personnel were deployed to ensure safety and security. A child-friendly lost-and-found centre was set up. Here, games, toys, chocolates and snacks were kept to make the lost children feel comfortable. This centre helped 78 lost children and elderly meet their families.

For safety and security on the ghats, floating jetties were put up everywhere, along with floating ropes. Signboards displaying depth warning signals were put and special vigil was kept by NDRF, SDRF, PAC and flood companies. Along with it, a special volunteer divers’ team was trained specially, and was deployed at every ghat to ensure that no mishap took place. Special boats were also deployed to ensure any emergency movement if needed.

For the first time, a full-fledged pathology lab with malaria and dengue testing facilities was set up along with a temporary district hospital and veterinary hospital. Twenty-two teams of doctors were deployed along with first aid and emergency medicines to prevent any medical emergency. Daily water testing was done for 200 hand pumps and multiple water tankers, and focus was on potable water for the pilgrims.

For safety from fire, 28 fire brigades were set up at strategic locations and, for the first time, 10 special fire control bikes were used for easy access to every area. These fire bikes had all emergency equipment to douse a fire. Along with this, special 150 picket duties were assigned to ensure that electricity-related fire accidents didn’t happen.

The Garh Mela was an unqualified success with no mishap reported. This was on account of detailed planning that accounted for all the possible eventualities. All the officers and officials of various departments in the district worked as a team under the inspired leadership of the District Magistrate Medha Roopam. The team was prepared to look at the mistakes made in the past and learn from successful melas like Kumbh. This presents a wonderful example of Nexus of Good, as others in the country can learn and replicate the steps taken at Garh to ensure smooth conduct of such events.

Views expressed are personal