Court asks Uttarakhand government to submit details of Mahakumbh preparations

One million visitors are expected to attend the Mahakumbh on routine days while about five million are expected for Shahi Snaans (royal baths)

Published on: Feb 23, 2021, 08:20:02 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi | Edited by Abhinav Sahay, Dehradun

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Uttarakhand high court on Monday directed the state government to submit a detailed affidavit on its preparations for implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) released by Centre on Kumbh and what yet remains to be done by March 3.

Ganga in Haridwar, where the Mahakumbh is to be held shortly. (HT Photo)

The court also directed Uttarakhand chief secretary to submit details such as how many frontline workers were given Covid-19 vaccination in Haridwar and how much medical staff is available for Kumbh.

The division bench comprising chief justice RS Chauhan and justice Alok Kumar Verma gave these directions while hearing a bunch of PILs filed by Sachdanand Dabral, Dushyant Mainali, and Rajendra Arya related to various issues regarding the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic in the state.

Shiv Bhatt, counsel of Sachdanand Dabral said the court was not happy with the affidavit on Mahakumbh.

“The court has directed the state government through Mela officer and chief secretary to file an affidavit by March 3 on preparations completed so far and yet to be completed, and para-wise details about the implementation of the SOP issued by Centre on January 22 this year. The court has sought details about the number of frontline workers that have been vaccinated so far and the list of Kumbh related infrastructural works completed and yet to be completed,” said Bhatt. The next hearing in the matter has been fixed on March 5, 2021.

One million visitors are expected to attend the Mahakumbh on routine days while about five million are expected for Shahi Snaans (royal baths). The Centre issued the SOPs on Mahakumbh last month after the state government approached it for the same on the order of Uttarakhand high court.

The SOPs make it mandatory for all the devotees to carry an RT-PCR negative test report for Covid-19, done within 72 hours. It also says that all the devotees should get a medical report from a competent medical authority near their house on the lines of Amaranth Yatra before attending the mega-event in Haridwar. It has asked the state government to ensure that the aforementioned reports are checked by the Mela authorities and to not allow anyone without them. Similarly, it has also asked the state government to discourage devotees aged above 65 years, pregnant women and children under 10 years of age from attending the event. It also asked the state to only deploy vaccinated healthcare and frontline workers at the Mahakumbh to ensure their protection from the disease.

Also Read: Expert team widens mouth of Rishiganga lake by 15ft to prevent repeat tragedy

Before the epidemic, over 12 crore pilgrims were expected to participate in the four-month-long Mahakumbh. However, now, given the epidemic, it is not clear yet how many pilgrims would actually turn up for the Kumbh, whose duration is proposed to be limited to one month or so.

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

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.