Kumbh Mela: 2,167 cases of COVID-19 found in Haridwar in last five days
A total of 2167 people were found positive for coronavirus in Haridwar- the place where the month-long Kumbh Mela is going on-in the last five days.
Officials have said that despite a record surge in Coronavirus cases in the country, the Kumbh Mela will continue till April 30. According to the Uttarakhand State Control Room, there were 254 COVID-19 positive cases on April 10, 386 on April 11, 408 on April 12, 594 on April 13 and 525 on April 14.
Kumbh Mela used to start in January, but looking at the situation the state government decided to start the festival in April. The Centre’s SOP said that in the wake of the current pandemic situation, the period of the Mela is reduced. ” I have no information if it’s being curtailed”, said Haridwar District Magistrate and Kumbh Mela officer Deepak Rawat on Wednesday.
More questions are being raised over the decision for the continuation of Kumbh Mela, as India reported over 2 lakh cases on Thursday. This is the highest ever spike since the beginning of the pandemic. Around 14 lakh people took a holy dip in the river Ganga at Haridwar Mahakumbh on Wednesday on the occasion of Baisakhi Shahi Snan, which is the third royal bath in this Kumbh.
Meanwhile, Uttrakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat said on Tuesday that there is room to compare the event held at Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi last year and the Kumbh Haridwar as the former took place in a closed space while the latter is being held in a vast open area.
“There is no comparison between Markaz and Kumbh. Markaz was in a closed hall. All the people slept in a single hall with close contacts. They even shared blankets. On the contrary, there are 16 ghats in Kumbh. Not just Haridwar, Kumbh is spread from Rishikesh to Nilkanth. Devotees take baths in different ghats at different times”, the minister told ANI.
