Haridwar sealed, police say no Kanwar Yatra-related celebration will be allowed

The Har Ki Pauri ghat (river bank) in Haridwar has been sealed for Kanwariyas from July 24 to August 6. The decision was taken during an inter-state border meeting in Haridwar in which officers of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Punjab, Delhi and Haryana were present.

The Uttarakhand Police has said that it won't allow people to come to the holy city to celebrate Kanwar Yatra, which has been banned by the state government. The pilgrimage is scheduled to start from July 25.

The Kanwar Yatra attracts around 30 million pilgrims from many northern and northwestern states to Haridwar in Uttarakhand. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

"As Kanwar Yatra is banned, no person will be allowed to enter Haridwar border for celebrations. Same applies to buses and trains," said Ashok Kumar, Uttarakhand director general of police, as reported by news agency ANI.

He added that tourists from other parts of state won't be stopped, but they will have to submit RT-PCR test report and register on Smart City portal before coming to Haridwar.

"Forces have been deployed on the borders of Haridwar district. Instructions are to request those coming to the border to go back. If anyone persists, action will be taken," Kumar said.

If anyone sends a tanker in a systematic way, we will help them in collecting Gangajal, the police chief added.

The Har Ki Pauri ghat (river bank) in Haridwar has been sealed for Kanwariyas from July 24 to August 6. The decision was taken during an inter-state border meeting in Haridwar in which officers of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Punjab, Delhi and Haryana were present.

This is the second consecutive year that the Kanwar Yatra has been stopped by Uttarakhand government due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand too have put a ban on the annual pilgrimage to avoid overcrowding and prevent the spread of Covid-19.