Overview

• On July 27, a panic-triggered surge on a narrow stairway to Haridwar’s Mansa Devi temple killed eight people and injured 30 pilgrims following rumors of an electrical hazard.
• District authorities have implemented immediate measures—including one-way routes, staggered pilgrim flows and capped temple entries—to reduce short-term overcrowding.
• The tourism department is required to draft the master plan within six months in consultation with crowd management experts and civil engineers.
• The nine-point framework will mandate scientific carrying-capacity studies, separate entry and exit paths, emergency evacuation systems and enhanced amenities.
• Divisional commissioners in Garhwal and Kumaon will supervise safety audits, encroachment removal and infrastructure upgrades along major pilgrimage routes.