Haridwar, Oct. 1 -- Nearly two months after a stampede at the Mata Mansa Devi shrine left nine devotees dead and 30 injured, elaborate security and crowd-management measures put in place by the local administration and temple committee are now yielding results, with a smoother flow of pilgrims witnessed at the temple during the ongoing Navratri festival. According to police officials, personnel have been deployed at every critical point-from the entry and exit gates to the stairway routes, pedestrian paths, ropeway trolleys, booking counters, and the main temple premises. "Following the August 5 stampede, we strengthened security on the stairway route and at bottleneck points. Sub-inspector-level officers and women constables have been deployed specifically for crowd regulation. CCTV footage is being continuously monitored, and whenever there is a surge in footfall or risk of congestion, devotees are stopped in advance to prevent a repeat of the tragedy," said SSP Haridwar Pramendra Dobhal. The temple trust has also stepped in with additional arrangements. "We are working in coordination with the administration. Private guards have been deployed, and encroachments around the shrine premises have been removed to make the pathways wider and safer," said Mahant Ravindra Puri, president of the Shri Mata Mansa Devi Temple Trust. On Tuesday, a large number of devotees visited both the Mata Mansa Devi and Mata Chandi Devi shrines. From early morning, pilgrims first took a dip in the Ganga at Har-ki-Pauri before making their way to the hilltop temples, either on foot or via ropeway. Officials said the improved crowd flow during Navratri is an encouraging sign that the new measures, like combining technology, manpower, and coordination between police and temple authorities, are helping avert risks during peak pilgrim rush....