What steps for Kanwar yatra? SC asks Uttarakhand

A month after flash-floods hit five districts of Uttarakhand, fear looms over the outbreak of an epidemic in the region during the on-going monsoon season. The forthcoming Kanwar yatra threatens to make it worse.

A month after flash-floods hit five districts of Uttarakhand, fear looms over the outbreak of an epidemic in the region during the on-going monsoon season. The forthcoming Kanwar yatra threatens to make it worse.

Taking note, the Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Centre, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh governments on a PIL highlighting these issues. A bench will hear the matter after two weeks.

The PIL, filed by social activist Swami Achyutanand Tirth, has also sought for court’s direction to the authorities to built toilets for Kanwar yatra participants and ensure its cleanliness. He said the situation is likely to worsen during the yatra as more than one crore Kanwariyas would be visiting Haridwar, Rishikesh and Gomukh regions. Last year 1.95 crore Kanwariyas visited Uttarakhand.

He wants judicial intervention to direct the states to take effective steps to prevent the spread of epidemic that is likely due to contamination of Ganga.