Chinnaswamy declared unsafe by the governmentt to host big public events by the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission.
The Karnataka government-appointed Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission has deemed Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium “unsafe for large-scale events” in the wake of the June 4 stampede that claimed 11 lives and injured more than 50. The stadium’s eligibility to host major events is called into question by the panel’s conclusions, which were presented to the government.
The stadium that was chosen to host Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) victory celebrations the day after their first IPL title win had shortcomings, according to the commission that looked into the stampede.
“The design and structure of the stadium was unsuitable and unsafe for mass gathering. All the entry and exit gates were directly opening into the public footpath. Spacious and organized holding area for crowd were not provided at the entry, as a result, the audience were forced to queue up on the footpath or the road abstracting and endangering the pedestrians and vehicular movements as well as giving scope for the miscreants to join the crowd, aggravating the risk especially in the absence of proper security management.
“…Given these systematic limitations the commission strongly recommends that stadium authorities consider relocating events that are expected to attract large crowds to venues that are better suited for such large gatherings. Any future venue should adhere to international standards, including: Purpose – built queuing and circulation zones separated from public roads; Adequate entry/exit gates for mass entry and exit (ingress and egress); 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.
“Until such infrastructural changes are made, continuing to host high attendance events at the current location poses unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility and emergency preparedness,” added the report.