An Egyptian scholar put forward a couple of creative ideas to alleviate the too much crowding in hajj season, suggesting to make some of the rituals automated.
Izzat Attiyah, professor of Hadith in Al-Azhar University, recommended Tuesday, January 20, that rami al-jamarat (throwing the pebbles) be done by special pistols and Tawaf (circumambulation around the Ka'bah) take place far from the sacred house.
In an interview with IslamOnline.net, Attiyah proposed that one out of every ten pilgrims would be delegated to throw pebbles on behalf of the rest.
Jamrah is a pillar that the pilgrim pelts with pebbles. There are three such pillars : Al-Jamrah Al-Ula
, Al-Jamrah Al-Wusta , and Jamrah Al-`Aqabah ....Ali Sobh, another Egyptian scholar and professor in Al-Azhar University, also suggested that the throwing of pebbles would take place at different intervals during the day and not be limited only to the midday-to-sunset timing...He added it is permissible for pilgrims to throw the pebbles from dawn to midnight, pointing out that a limited time could lead to stampedes and deaths....urged Saudi authorities to deploy more guides and police to meet the demands of the expected two million pilgrims this year....supported building new multi-storey buildings in Mena to avoid the spread of contagious diseases.
http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2004-01/21/article05.shtml