Uttar Pradesh
AI in Maha Kumbh 2025
- 22 Jan 2025
- 3 min read
Why in News?
Authorities are using CCTV cameras equipped with Artificial Intelligence to manage the rush of devotees at the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela and predict sudden crowd surges.
Key Points
- Crowd Statistics:
- Approximately 50 to 60 lakh people visit the fair daily.
- The number of devotees surges on ritual bathing days:
- Paush Purnima: 1.6 crore people took a dip.
- Makar Sankranti (January 14): 3.5 crore people participated.
- Mauni Amavasya (January 29): An estimated 6 to 7 crore people are expected.
- Surveillance and Monitoring Setup:
- Authorities have installed around 2,700 CCTV cameras across Prayagraj for the festival with 1,800 located in the fair area.
- Monitoring is conducted through four Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCC) within the fair area.
- Role of AI in Crowd Management:
- Out of 1,800 CCTV cameras, approximately 160 are equipped with AI technology.
- AI calculates crowd density per square metre to estimate the number of people in specific areas at specific times.
- Authorities use AI data to estimate the number of pilgrims expected on major bathing days and divert crowds to prevent overcrowding.
- AI in Emergency Response:
- AI facilitates evacuation in emergencies, such as the recent fire incident that destroyed 40 huts and 60 tents.
- This is the first time AI has been used for crowd management on such a large scale globally.
- Challenges and Limitations:
- AI models sometimes face gaps due to low network connectivity and technical issues.
- Equipping all CCTV cameras with AI remains cost-prohibitive.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- About:
- AI is the ability of a computer, or a robot controlled by a computer to do tasks that are usually done by humans because they require human intelligence and discernment.
- Although there is no AI that can perform the wide variety of tasks an ordinary human can do, some AI can match humans in specific tasks.
- AI is the ability of a computer, or a robot controlled by a computer to do tasks that are usually done by humans because they require human intelligence and discernment.
- Characteristics & Components:
- The ideal characteristic of artificial intelligence is its ability to rationalize and take actions that have the best chance of achieving a specific goal. A subset of AI is Machine Learning (ML).
- Deep Learning (DL) techniques enable this automatic learning through the absorption of huge amounts of unstructured data such as text, images, or video.
- The ideal characteristic of artificial intelligence is its ability to rationalize and take actions that have the best chance of achieving a specific goal. A subset of AI is Machine Learning (ML).
