Dhanbad Durga Puja safety measures are being tightened after the Chorbagan pandal stampede in West Bengal, with a local puja committee widening its entrance and the district police directing officials to maintain strict vigilance at festival venues. The measures were announced at the Bengali Welfare Society’s puja pandal at Park Market, where Dhanbad artist Ramesh Thakur has created a tribute to the victims and their families.
Thakur’s artwork shows Maa Durga with a solemn expression beside a map of West Bengal. The painting was created as an expression of grief and solidarity against the backdrop of the ongoing Durga Puja celebrations. Thakur said the festival should continue to be observed, but devotees and organisers must remain sensitive to the suffering caused by such incidents.
“Durga Puja is a festival of faith and tradition and should be celebrated. But people must also remain sensitive to the suffering caused by such incidents. Festivals should bring people together, with compassion shown towards grieving families,” he said.
The Bengali Welfare Society has also altered the physical layout of its pandal. Society president Gopal Bhattacharya said a portion of the boundary wall was demolished to widen the entrance. The change is intended to improve crowd management and create a safer evacuation route during an emergency.
The wider gate is also expected to allow heavy vehicles, including fire-fighting vehicles, to reach the pandal more easily in the event of a fire. Access for emergency vehicles is a critical operational requirement at temporary public venues, where large gatherings, narrow approaches and temporary structures can complicate evacuation and response.
The district administration and puja committees have begun reviewing safety arrangements following the West Bengal incident. The review includes vigilance at pandals and adherence to security arrangements, according to statements cited in the report.
Dhanbad Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar said officials had been directed to remain vigilant at all pandals to ensure the safety of devotees and maintain law and order. He also warned that negligence or laxity by officials would be dealt with seriously.
The response places responsibility on both the organisers managing temporary festival spaces and officials overseeing public safety. For the Bengali Welfare Society, the immediate measure has been a structural change to the entrance. For the administration, the focus is on monitoring venues and ensuring that prescribed security arrangements are followed.
The report does not specify the number of visitors expected at the pandal, the full list of safety measures being reviewed, or whether similar structural changes have been ordered at other venues in Dhanbad. The district administration’s wider review and continued vigilance at pandals will determine how the safety directions are implemented during the festival.
