Kumbh Mela 2025: Multiple Bollywood movies have depicted the family tragedy of losing a member at the Kumbh Mela. In 250 similar incidents, reported on the first day of Mahakumbh 2025, the authorities used digital initiatives to reunite members with their families who were lost in the dense crowd.
The inaugural day of the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj was marked by the Paush Purnima bathing festival, during which over 1.65 crore devotees thronged at the sacred Triveni Sangam for a holy dip.
"Hundreds of families have been reunited under the supervision of the department and Mela authorities. In just the first one-and-a-half hours, our civil defence teams managed to bring back around 200 to 250 individuals to their families," Nitesh Kumar Dwivedi, a warden with Uttar Pradesh Civil Defence said.
In order to manage the enormous gathering, the Uttar Pradesh government implemented several crowd-control initiatives. These initiatives include 'Bhula-Bhatka' camps, police assistance centres and deployment of personnel on specially constructed watchtowers for the Mela.
These camps feature dedicated sections for lost children and women, along with 'Khoya-Paya' (Lost and Found) centres equipped with digital tools and social media assistance.
As per the UP Police, 10 such state-of-the-art digital 'Khoya- Paya Kendras' have been set up across Mahakumbh Nagar. These centres are equipped with modern facilities including waiting rooms, medical rooms and refreshment areas for women and children to provide immediate assistance to the devotees, officials said.
Earlier, ADG Bhanu Bhaskar said that each of these centres is fitted with 55-inch LED screens connected to a public address system. The screens will display live updates about lost and found persons and items. The centres will also provide essential information on ghat arrangements and routes.
The centres are recording information digitally about any lost or lost items. It provides informers with computerised receipts for reference. Photos and details of missing persons are displayed on the 55-inch LED screens for easy identification and all centres are connected through a modern communication network.
According to the ADG, the information is also being shared via Facebook, X and WhatsApp to enhance the reach of locating missing persons and lost items, noting that the digital centres will assist in locating missing children, mobile phones, purses and other belongings.
(With inputs from agencies)