Published 08:51 IST, January 30th 2025
VVIP Passes Cancelled, No-Vehicle Zone: CM Yogi Announces 5 Big Changes After Maha Kumbh Stampede
The state government has also urged pilgrims to follow official guidelines and cooperate with authorities to ensure a safe and orderly event.

Prayagraj: After the tragic stampede at the Sangam during Maha Kumbh , which claimed 30 lives and left over 60 injured, the Yogi government has taken big steps to improve crowd management and ensure smooth arrangements for upcoming snan days. The entire Maha Kumbh Mela area has now been declared a No-Vehicle Zone to prevent overcrowding and ease movement.
Stampede at Sangam: 5 Big Changes at Maha Kumbh
The incident happened in the early hours of Wednesday when a massive crowd of pilgrims broke the barricades and rushed towards Sangam to take a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya, considered one of the most auspicious days of Kumbh Mela. Following the stampede, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a high-level meeting and issued strict guidelines to improve crowd control, traffic flow, and inter-department coordination. The CM has also deployed Ashish Goyal, who was Divisional Commissioner of Prayagraj during Kumbh 2019, and Bhanu Goswami, former Vice Chairman of ADA, to further strengthen arrangements at the Kumbh Mela. The administration has introduced several changes to manage the crowd at the gathering, as the next big auspicious day to take a dip in Sangam is near on February 3rd, Basant Panchami.
Here are the five big changes:
1. No-Vehicle Zone Declared: Entry of all vehicles is strictly prohibited in the entire Maha Kumbh area to prevent congestion.
2. No VVIP Passes Allowed: VVIP passes have been cancelled; no one will be allowed to bring vehicles inside the fair area.
3. One-Way Routes Enforced: A one-way traffic system has been introduced to control crowd movement and prevent rush.
4. Vehicles Stopped at District Borders: Four-wheelers from neighboring districts are being stopped at Prayagraj borders to reduce congestion.
5. Deployment of Kumbh 2019 Officials: Ashish Goyal and Bhanu Goswami have been brought in to manage arrangements, based on their experience from Kumbh 2019.
To maintain order, entry of four-wheelers into Prayagraj is completely banned until further notice.
High-Level Review Ordered
CM Yogi has directed Chief Secretary and DGP to conduct a thorough review of the Maha Kumbh arrangements on Thursday. He has stressed that every aspect related to security and public convenience must be checked to ensure smooth arrangements for Basant Panchami.
He also directed the ADG and Prayagraj District Magistrate to ensure the safe and smooth exit of devotees from the fair area.
Additionally, five Special Secretary-level officers have been assigned to oversee the operations.
Government’s Appeal to Devotees
The Yogi government has urged pilgrims to cooperate with authorities and follow the administration’s guidelines to ensure a safe and smooth Maha Kumbh.
With millions of devotees still arriving, all departments are on high alert, ensuring that no such incident happens again.
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Updated 10:32 IST, January 30th 2025