Managing crowds with technology: cases of Hajj and Kumbh Mela

During the first 15 years of this century, seven thousand people have been crushed to death in stampedes. Many would argue that these fatalities could have been prevented by better control and management. Crowd management today needs to minimise the chances of occurrence of stampedes, fires and other disasters and also to deal with the ongoing threat of terrorism and outbreak of communicable diseases like EBOLA, HIV Aids, Swine Influenza H1N1, H1N2, various strands of flu, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). These challenges have created a need for using all available resources, especially modern tools and technology, when dealing with crowds. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which is already benefiting many industrial and government organisations around the world, may be useful for scanning crowded locations and hence in helping to prevent overcrowding. Other wireless technologies should also be considered for possible use in crowded events. Ideally, some of the regular crowded event locations should be transformed into smart cities. In this article we shall discuss different kinds of crowds and technologies for their management. In particular, we shall analyse cases where wireless and mobile technologies can be utilised effectively. The Hajj, which has witnessed several stampedes, is chosen as the case study but most of our findings would be applicable in other events like the Kumbh Mela.