Mahakumbh begins, HC tells state to increase testing

HC has directed the government that vaccination centres and testing facilities be increased in Haridwar.

Published on: Apr 1, 2021, 05:34:18 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi, Dehradun

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The Uttarakhand high court has directed the state government to increase daily Covid-19 testing in Haridwar from 5,000 to 50,000, as the city prepares for the Mahakumbh.

Hearing a bunch of petitions on the Covid-19 pandemic, the HC also directed the state to release its Covid-19 numbers on the government website.

Shiv Bhatt, counsel of one of the petitioners, said the HC has directed the government that vaccination centres and testing facilities be increased in Mahakumbh area. “Court today also clarified that those who have a certificate that they have received both doses of COVID vaccine can come to Mahakumbh,” Bhatt said.

Also read | 2 days ahead of Mahakumbh, Rishikesh and Haridwar emerge as Covid-19 hotspots

Around 30 to 50 million pilgrims are expected to visit the Mahakumbh which is set to begin in the state on Thursday.

The state recorded 293 new cases on Wednesday, taking the state’s tally to 100,411. A total of 15,743 samples were tested in the state on Wednesday.

After experts raised concerns that the congregation could become a superspreader event, the HC on March 5 constituted a committee to inspect the preparations and infrastructure, and submit reports by March 23.

“The reports pointed out that there is a need to make more hand sanitisers available in the Mahakumbh area and have proper drinking water arrangements. We also highlighted some shortcomings in many hospitals in Haridwar... The chief secretary will again inspect the Kumbh area on April 6 and the compliance report regarding inspections has to be filed before the court by April 13,” Bhatt said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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