AI, holding zones… Did Ashwini Vaishnaw actually meet want for crowd management?

The current stampede at New Delhi railway station, leading to at the very least 18 fatalities, definitely intensified scrutiny of the (clearly insufficient) crowd management measures from the Indian Railways.

Within the aftermath of the tragedy, the railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has, on 17 February, Monday, introduced a number of initiatives to boost passenger security and handle massive crowds. However how do they measure up, in comparison with what Opposition leaders and different netizens have been suggesting for some time now?

Recognising the surge in passengers throughout occasions just like the Maha Kumbh Mela, the ministry is introducing particular monitoring protocols to handle the inflow of devotees and forestall overcrowding.

The plans unveiled by the railway ministry embrace the set up of over 200 CCTV cameras and development of 21 new underpasses at main stations to observe and management crowd motion successfully.

A dedication to 24/7 surveillance has been made, specializing in stopping congestion and unauthorised occupancy of crucial areas like staircases and landings.

Extra AI surveillance and holding zones for big crowds have been talked about too.

It stays unclear whether or not this can assist handle the fallout of complicated bulletins, delays and platform adjustments. At greatest, we suppose it might assist safety personnel see a growing downside and get there sooner — although it’s shocking this was not already in place.