Bengaluru stampede: Panel says no to large events at Chinnaswamy stadium, cites safety concerns
Bengaluru: The Chinnaswamy stadium will have to stop hosting large if the government acts on the report from the Justice John Michael Cunha Commission, which concluded that the stadium’s "design and structure" are "unsuitable and unsafe" for mass gatherings.
The Commission highlighted "systematic limitations" and strongly recommended moving big events to more suitable venues, as reported by Deccan Herald on Wednesday.
The Commission was formed to investigate the June 4 stampede outside the stadium which claimed eleven lives during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations.
The Commission found the stadium's design and structure to be inadequate and unsafe for mass gatherings. It noted that all entry and exit points led directly onto the footpath, and there was no spacious, organised holding area for crowds. As a result, attendees were forced to queue on the footpath or road, blocking pedestrian and vehicle movement, while also giving scope for miscreants to join the crowd aggravating the risk, especially in the absence of proper security.
“Any future venue should adhere to international standards,” the Commission said. Recommendations include building purpose-designed queuing and circulation zones separated from public roads, adequate gates for mass entry and exit, integrated public transport access points and tourist hubs, emergency evacuation plans compliant with international safety norms, sufficient parking, and drop-off infrastructure to handle attendee volumes.
The panel in its report cautioned that until the necessary infrastructure improvements are made, hosting high-attendance events at the Chinnaswamy stadium would pose unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility, and emergency preparedness.
The panel has recommended action against KSCA chief Raghuram Bhat, ex-secretary A. Shankar, ex-treasurer E.S. Jairam, RCB vice-president Rajesh Menon, DNA Entertainment Networks MD T. Venkat Vardhan and VP Sunil Mathur, police officers B. Dayananda, Vikash Kumar Vikash, Shekhar H. Tekkannavar, C. Balakrishna and A.K. Girish, added the report.
The state government is expected to discuss the recommendations in the next Cabinet meeting.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
