On Monday, there was no sign of a stampede as deadly as Sunday's. The pilgrims were back. They never went away, actually, as one official put it, "Twenty minutes after the bodies were cleared, and the next batch had started going up. It was as though they were not even aware, or worse, did not care about what had happened less than half an hour ago."
At first sight, nothing indicates that the administration has learnt its lessons.
The narrow approach to the temple is choc-a-bloc with groups of pilgrims jostling and raising slogans.
The two approach roads from two sides of the foothills -- Anantpur Sahib and the Bakra -- have no lamps or signboards. This is a hassle for pilgrims from others states. The roads are also extremely narrow and poorly paved.
From the place the staircase starts till it reaches the temple, there is no toilet in sight. Nor is there any facility for water. Most pilgrims said the absence of toilets and water was the biggest problem they faced. The municipality that looks after the temple and the surrounding areas, however, says there are enough toilets. How many?
"There are 15 toilets along the way up to the temple," Naina Devi Municipality Executive Officer R K Thakur said.
And how many people visit the temple during the Navratra?
"Today (Monday) it will be close to 30,000. It was much more than that on Sunday."
There are only 15 toilets at place visited by over 40,000 people.
Thakur also said the sub-divisional magistrate, who is entrusted with the temple affairs, called a meeting of officials. "He divided the entire area into nine sectors and assigned a senior administrative officer and a police officer for each sector," Thakur said.
But the locals swear none of those assigned reached the spot till after an hour. "They had assigned two senior officials, 4 head constables and 20 constables to each sector. If they were there as they claimed, answer one question for me. I am not asking this with any ill will. But how come not one single policeman was killed in a stampede that occurred in one of the points where there is supposedly a barricade manned by these 26 people?" Chand asked.
Image: The old route that has now been closed to the public after the incident. When the stampede broke out, people who were coming down this route jumped over to the adjacent path and ran into the oncoming pilgrims, increasing the casualty.
Also read: Abode of the gods
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