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Stampedes and crowd crushes are the largest threat to public safety at any large gathering, particularly one of the Kumbh Mela's size.
在任何大型集會中，尤其是像大壺節這樣規模的集會，踩踏和人群擁擠是對公共安全的最大威脅。
Undoubtedly, the 1954 stamped, when an estimated 800 pilgrims died, either drowned or trampled looms large in planners' minds.
毫無疑問，1954年的那次踩踏事件在規劃者心中留下了深刻的陰影，據估計那次事件中有800名朝圣者死亡，死因要么是溺水，要么是被踩踏。
A similar occurrence in 2013 had a death toll of 42.
2013年也發生了類似事件，造成42人死亡。
Since then, the number of pilgrims at the Kumbh Mela has grown rapidly; compared to this year's seminal pilgrimage, 1954's had roughly 5 million pilgrims.
從那以后，大壺節的朝圣者數量迅速增長；與今年的重要朝圣活動相比，1954年大約只有500萬朝圣者。
To manage the throngs of pilgrims, the Indian government trains and hires upwards of 40,000 police officers (including a specialized group of 1,300 female officers instructed to guard women devotees).
為了管理大量的朝圣者，印度政府培訓并雇傭了超過4萬名警察（其中包括一支1300人的專門女性警察隊伍，負責保護女性信徒）。
And like the number of visitors, this number rises with each Kumbh Mela.
而且和游客數量一樣，這個數字在每屆大壺節時都會增加。
To help them track foot traffic, some AI-powered 2,7000 cameras have been installed throughout Prayagraj to identify and analyze congested areas.
為了幫助他們追蹤人流量，在普拉亞格拉杰各地安裝了約27000個由人工智能驅動的攝像頭，以識別和分析擁擠區域。
Despite these preparations, and the close study of stampedes at earlier festivals, tragedy struck this year on January 29, one of the most important days of the festival, when a crowd crush at the riverbank left 30 dead and 90 injured.
盡管做了這些準備工作，并且對早期節日的踩踏事件進行了深入研究，但悲劇還是在今年1月29日發生了，這一天是節日中最重要的日子之一，河岸發生的人群擁擠事件導致30人死亡，90人受傷。
More than 76 million pilgrims had gathered at the river that day.
當天有超過7600萬朝圣者聚集在河邊。
Rahul Gandhi, India's opposition leader, criticized the crowd control, arguing that too much emphasis had been placed on the experience of wealthy pilgrims.
印度反對黨領袖拉胡爾·甘地批評了人群管控措施，認為政府過于強調富裕朝圣者的體驗。
"Mismanagement and the administration's special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident," he said in a statement.
“管理不善以及政府特別關注貴賓的通行，而不是普通信徒，是這次悲劇事件的原因。”他在一份聲明中說道。
Still, risks like stampedes haven't deterred the devout who continued to wade into the confluence of rivers, seeking absolution and salvation from the cycle of birth and death.
盡管如此，像踩踏這樣的風險并沒有阻止虔誠的信徒們繼續踏入河流交匯處，尋求赦免以及從生死輪回中獲得救贖。
After the pilgrims return home and the Maha Kumbh Mela is over in late February, the riverside land will go back to its original agricultural use, but first, the local and state governments will begin the long process of cleaning up the site.
在朝圣者們回家，2月下旬大壺節結束后，河邊的土地將恢復其原本的農業用途，但首先，地方和州政府將開始漫長的場地清理工作。
"It takes a good month to clear up visible refuse," explains Eck. "And when the flood waters of the river come again in the fall, it carries it all away."
“清理可見的垃圾需要一個月的時間，”埃克解釋道，“當秋天河水再次泛濫時，它會把所有垃圾都沖走。”
