Modernise crowd management with technology for safer mass gatherings

The recent tragedies caused by stampedes -- at Karur in Tamil Nadu, the cricket stadium in Bengaluru, and earlier this year at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj -- resulting in loss of life and injuries to several people, should serve as a wake-up call to those responsible for crowd management. With increasing urban population, there is a natural tendency for people to gather in large numbers for festivals, rallies, religious processions, tourist and sporting events. Authorities must therefore be adequately prepared to manage the crowds. 

Large crowds can cause inconvenience and risk to others not involved in the event -- traffic delays, pollution, stampedes, fights, and medical emergencies. It is unfortunate that lessons are not learnt from past tragedies, such as the Bengaluru Venus Circus fire in February 1981, which claimed 92 lives and injured around 300 people, or the 2011 Sabarimala stampede that killed 102.

At the Maha Kumbh in February 2025, claimed to be the largest gathering ever with over a crore of people, excellent arrangements were made. Yet, a stampede followed the collapse of barricades when large numbers of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam, resulting in at least 30 deaths and 90 injured. There were also management failures in sanitation and transport arrangements, leading to sewage-contaminated river water and visitors walking long distances to reach the venue. It was further alleged that VIP treatment took precedence over public safety.

There are well-established crowd control measures to ensure safety, some of which are listed below. 

Planning: The World Health Organisation defines a mass gathering as “more than a specified number of persons at a specific location for a specific purpose for a defined period of time”. Taking this and other relevant factors into account, an overall plan must be prepared for each event, covering both preventive measures and actions to be taken in case of emergencies.

Risk Assessment: Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify potential hazards, considering the type of event, the audience, and the venue.

Barrier placement: Proper use of safety cones and barricades to guide crowd movement prevents overcrowding in specific areas and acts as a psychological guide for how crowds flow through space.

Signage and communication: Attendees must be properly informed about directions, entry and exit points, and safety protocols. Apart from clear signage, public announcements should be made regularly. This helps regulate crowd volume and minimise congestion.

Emergency preparedness: An emergency plan should be in place for each event to enable safe evacuation. Staggering entry and exit points at critical times can prevent overcrowding.

With rapid urbanisation, large gatherings will only keep increasing, and traditional methods such as lathi charges, tear gas, and water jets fall short. Crowd control solutions have evolved, requiring an understanding of modern technology, security measures and human behaviour. By using appropriate technologies, event managers can develop effective strategies for managing crowds.

Western countries have adopted innovative solutions. Artificial intelligence is now widely used through computer vision and data analysis for real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and managing traffic and movements in various situations. AI systems use cameras to create ‘density maps’ that identify areas with high population density, while computer vision tools detect deviant or potentially dangerous behaviour and abnormal crowd patterns.

Mobile operators also play a role in monitoring and analysing crowd and transport movement to detect unusual behaviour. Network data and IoT sensors are used to gauge crowd densities at different locations. Live videography, drones, and CCTV provide visual evidence. Social media platforms are effectively used to counter rumours and block fake messages. Fog and cloud computing enable real-time data collection. Technologies such as ‘Flow Camera’ and ‘Wifi Triangulation’ are increasingly common. Police forces in some countries also use chemical irritants and malodourants like ‘skunk’, developed by the Israeli armed forces, to disperse crowds.

The IIM-Ahmedabad has developed an Institutional Repository in collaboration with the IISc-Bengaluru Transportation Engineering Lab to “understand the dynamics of mankind’s largest crowd”, based on a study of Maha Kumbh at Ujjain in 2016. Another IIM-A study, initiated by the National Disaster Management Authority, highlights “generic safety, security, and future guidelines to avoid stampedes and casualties”. One of its recommendations was to deny entry to VIPs if it compromised public safety.

The Antwerp Case Study in Belgium shows how Orange Belgium, a telecom company, collaborated with Cropland and the City of Antwerp to deploy a crowd management solution for local events like hosting the Tour de France and Tall Ship Races. This system provided real-time data on the location of all mobile phones connected to networks in a given area.

It would be useful to develop case studies of incidents where stampedes have occurred, to identify failures and take corrective action. Authorities in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu would do well to initiate studies of the Bengaluru stadium and Karur events in collaboration with institutions like IIM, IIT and IISc. 

For successful planning and execution of crowd control measures, trained personnel are indispensable. It has now become essential to have a dedicated force trained in crowd management, capable of monitoring and responding quickly to any emerging issue. Additional forces can be mobilised as required. A control centre can be established to digitally monitor large events, providing real-time information on crowd movement and personnel deployment. Existing traffic control centres can also be used for this purpose.

Finally, effective governance is crucial. Proper coordination must exist between different layers of government – the state administration, city police, district authorities and other stakeholders such as electricity and water boards, transport operators and emergency medical services. During major events, it is best to restrict the use of private vehicles and promote public transport.

The health and well-being of personnel engaged in crowd control -- often ignored -- also deserve adequate attention.

(The writer is a former chief secretary, Government of Karnataka)

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.)