Artificial Intelligence roped in to manage Kumbh crowd

| | New Delhi
  • 0

Artificial Intelligence roped in to manage Kumbh crowd

Tuesday, 08 January 2019 | Rajesh Kumar | New Delhi

Artificial Intelligence roped in to manage Kumbh crowd

To tackle the massive rush of visitors during the upcoming Kumbh Mela, the Uttar Pradesh Government will use artificial intelligence software which will help in prediction analysis of crowd at a particular spot of the venue or a particular point of time during Kumbh from January 15 to March 4 at Prayagraj.

This is the first time that artificial intelligence is being used to control crowd during such event. The UP Government Additional Chief Secretary, Avinash Kumar Awasthi, told The Pioneer that this will also help to keep the crowd under control during Kumbh.

On Monday, UP Government Sugarcane Development Minister Suresh Rana came to Delhi to invite Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for Kumbh mela on behalf of the State Government.

The UP Government has spent Rs 4,300 crore on infrastructure in Prayagraj for this year Kumbh mela. 

“Artificial intelligence will provide video analytics service using AI for crowd control, several powerful CCTVs will be set up to monitor the situation. Also, LED screens will be installed for displaying information. An integrated command control room has been set up to monitor crowds at Kumbh”, Awasthi said. 

He said the UP Police has developed software based on artificial intelligence which is  also known as agent-based modelling, which will be helpful in crowd management as well as in knowing more about crowd behaviour.” Artificial intelligence is an area of computer science that emphasises the creation of intelligent machines that work and reacts like humans.

According to Awasthi, it is expected that 12 million pilgrims will attend the event on January 15 (Makar Sankranti), 5.5 million pilgrims on January 21 (Paush Purnima), 30 million pilgrims on February 4 (Mauni Amavasya), 20 million pilgrims on February 10 (Basant Panchami), 16 million pilgrims on February 19 (Maghi Purnima), and 6 million pilgrims on March 4 (Mahashivratri).

A whole city would come up temporarily at Prayagraj spread across 3,200 hectare on the banks of the Ganga and Yamuna.

He said for the first time Saraswati Kund will be opened for visitors.

With the investment of Rs 4,300 crore for Kumbh in 2019, as compared to just Rs 1,214 crore in 2013, the State Government has already completed 671 schemes in Prayagraj.

The Government has allocated more than 264 road construction work projects.

Besides, 40,700 LED lights installed in the Kumbh city and more than 500 shuttle buses for pilgrims.  “The Kumbh in 2013 had only 34,000 toilets, while this year, we have 1.22 lakh toilets, 20,000 dustbins and 15,000 sanitation workers,” Rana said.

Considered to be the world’s largest religious event, it is expected that more than 100 million devotees and Hindu ascetics will attend the almost two-month-long Kumbh.

Sunday Edition

The man of many faces

17 March 2024 | Gyaneshwar Dayal | Agenda

Reclaiming history Brick by brick

17 March 2024 | Gyaneshwar Dayal | Agenda

Shruti Foundation | A personal journey

17 March 2024 | Pioneer | Agenda

Cannot afford tiger safari in Corbett core area

17 March 2024 | BK Singh | Agenda

Astroturf | Shiva shows how the world evolved

17 March 2024 | Bharat Bhushan Padmadeo | Agenda

Modi's leadership | Path to Renewal

10 March 2024 | KK SRIVASTAVA | Agenda