NT Reporter
Panaji/Sankhali
With memories of the stampede at Shirgao on May 3 last year still fresh, authorities have decided to introduce a one-way movement system for devotees to streamline entry and exit for the Shree Devi Lairai Jatra at Shirgao, scheduled for April 21, 2026.
It has also been decided to remove encroachments and temporary stalls along key corridors well in advance to ensure unobstructed movement. Extensive CCTV surveillance will be installed, and a joint command and control room will be set up for real-time monitoring and quick response.
Additional police personnel will be deployed at vulnerable locations, supported by technological monitoring to anticipate crowd surges. Health, fire and emergency services will be positioned strategically, with clear response protocols and inter-departmental coordination mechanisms in place.
A high-level coordination meeting was held on Saturday to finalise safety and crowd management measures for the Jatra. The stampede had claimed six lives and left over 80 injured.
The meeting, chaired by North Goa Collector and District Magistrate Ankit Yadav, reviewed preparedness across departments, with a sharp focus on preventing overcrowding and managing high-risk zones identified during previous jatras. Senior officials from the police, district administration, health services, fire and emergency departments, PWD, electricity department, panchayats and the temple managing committee were present.
The temple committee has been directed to conduct structured orientation and training for dhond devotees and volunteers, with emphasis on queue discipline and safety norms. A detailed list of do’s and don’ts will be widely circulated in the local language to sensitise devotees.
Officials said the objective is to ensure that the jatra is conducted in a safe, orderly and disciplined manner, particularly in the aftermath of the May 3 stampede that claimed six lives and left over 80 injured.
