Odisha Mandates Queue-Based Entry at Durga Puja Pandals After Kolkata Stampede

Odisha Police instructed Durga Puja committees to implement queue-based entry and deploy volunteers at pandals, following a stampede in north Kolkata that killed 19 people.

Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra stated that narrow passages and large crowds created stampede risks, prompting restrictions on four-wheelers on narrow approach roads.

Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh warned that strong action would be taken against organizers violating safety guidelines and CCTV mandates.