'Maha Kumbh Mela' 2021: Moradabad railway division develops app for pilgrims

General manager of northern railway, Ashutosh Gangal said that the app will be useful for all the devotees who are seeking information about any government guidelines while attending the ‘Maha Kumbh Mela’.

With the purpose to help pilgrims who are attending the 'Maha Kumbh Mela' with essential information about trains and government guidelines on Covid-19, the Moradabad railway division launched a mobile app. General manager of northern railway, Ashutosh Gangal said that the app will be useful for all the devotees who are seeking information about any government guidelines while attending the ‘Maha Kumbh Mela’.

Devotees gather to take a holy dip in the waters of the river Ganga to mark "Mauni Amavasya" during the ongoing religious Kumbh Mela, or "festival of the pot", amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in Haridwar, India. (Reuters)

"Moradabad division made an app through which, along with information about trains, passengers can get information about local temples. They can also get information related to the state government's guidelines on Covid-19 that keeps on changing," Gangal said as per news agency ANI.

Gangal added that along with the app, SMS alerts are also sent to all the passengers regarding any changes in the guidelines.

The Uttarakhand government has taken several steps to ensure that devotees face no problems while attending the ‘Maha Kumbh Mela’. A centralised control room has been set up at Haridwar railway station and twenty-four police stations have been set up in Haridwar which will maintain policing, law and order, traffic as well as crowd management and patrolling of the Mela zone.

The Uttarakhand government has also issued standard operating procedures (SOP) which make it mandatory for devotees to produce a negative report of RT-PCR test conducted not earlier than 72 hours of arrival. In case of violation of the SOPs, the government has warned of strict penal action against the violators. The SOP also makes it compulsory for devotees to bring a medical fitness certificate and an e-pass or e-permit issued to them after registering on the Kumbh Mela web portal.

Wearing of masks is also mandatory for all the devotees and mask dispensing kiosks have been set up in the parking lots as well as at the entry points. Also, masks would be distributed without charging any fees and fines will be levied on devotees who do not wear masks.

(with agency inputs)