Uttarakhand has sent back at least 15K Kanwariyas in a week, say police

The state government cancelled Kanwar Yatra for a second consecutive year amid fears of it turning into a super-spreader event like the earlier Mahakumbh

In the first week since the Kanwar Yatra period began on July 25, Uttarakhand sent over 15,500 Kanwariyas back from its border in Haridwar.

Kanwariyas from Punjab who tried to enter at Mandawar check post in Haridwar. (HT photo)

The state government cancelled Kanwar Yatra for a second consecutive year amid fears of it turning into a super-spreader event like the earlier Mahakumbh which saw a massive spike in Covid cases afterwards.

Thirty cases have also been lodged at various police stations with 54 people framed under Disaster Management Act and Epidemics Act in the past week since the pilgrimage began.

In the same period, 1,161 people have been penalised for violating social distancing norms while 33 people have been fined for not wearing masks, senior superintendent of district police D Senthil Aboodai Krishan.

Kanwariyas are being sent back from the state’s border with Uttar Pradesh or when they arrive on buses and trains on their way to Har-Ki-Pauri, he said, adding that round-the-clock checking and monitoring of vehicles is being carried out at border check posts.

“Cases are being lodged against Kanwariyas found violating norms. They are also being put in quarantine facility and sent back from border posts,” he said.

The ten border check posts where monitoring is being done are Chidiyapur-Shyampur,Narsain, Mandawar ,Kali Nadi ,Tejjupur ,Gokalpur ,Beerpur, Purkaji barrier, Balawali Laksar, and Dallawala post Khanpur.

The yatra period is to continue till August 6. For the yatra, Shiva devotees walk to fetch water from the Ganga and carry it back to their villages.