The High Court has officially directed the Goa government to submit a comprehensive crowd management plan for the upcoming Lairai Jatra festival celebrated at Shirgao. The legal intervention aims to ensure public safety ahead of the massive religious gathering that attracts thousands of devotees annually.
The stringent directive follows a public interest petition citing serious safety concerns after last year’s tragic incident at the festival venue. Locals and safety advocates have long demanded better infrastructure and crowd monitoring to prevent stampedes and logistical hazards.
The state government is now required to detail its deployment of security personnel, medical emergency stations, and traffic diversion routes. The court emphasized that preventative measures must be robust enough to handle high-density peak hours during the rituals.
The case is scheduled for its next detailed hearing on March 10. The bench will review the state’s proposed blueprints to verify if they adequately address all the security loopholes identified in past iterations of the festival.
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