The Tamil Nadu government has issued a new Standard Operating Procedure to regulate large public gatherings across the state. The move follows the Karur stampede last September that killed 41 people during a political rally. The Madras High Court had directed the state to frame uniform safety rules.
The SOP applies to public meetings, political rallies, processions, protests, and cultural or religious events with expected attendance above 5,000. Smaller events will follow existing norms. Religious gatherings linked to long-standing customs inside places of worship have been exempted from the new rules.
Event organisers must apply for police permission within fixed timelines based on venue type and crowd size. Applications must include details such as venue, duration, expected turnout, speakers, vehicles, and parking. District authorities will notify designated venues after safety assessments by engineers. Each venue’s maximum capacity will be reviewed annually.
Organisers must arrange medical aid, drinking water, toilets, CCTV surveillance, and trained volunteers. One volunteer per 100 attendees is mandatory. Road shows will face strict limits on duration and vehicle movement. District-level monitoring committees will oversee compliance. The government dropped the proposal to collect security deposits from organisers.
