After Kumbh controversy, Uttarakhand scraps Kanwar Yatra

Uttarakhand had earlier suspended the Char Dham Yatra after the excessive courtroom stayed for 4 weeks the choice to permit residents of three districts to conduct the pilgrimage. (Picture Courtesy: Indian Categorical)

The Uttarakhand authorities has scrapped the annual Kanwar Yatra within the state after coming in for extreme criticism for internet hosting over 36 lakh folks throughout the Kumbh Mela simply earlier than the second COVID-19 wave hit the nation. Police authorities within the state appealed to their counterparts in neighbouring states to ask devotees to not go to Haridwar this month to gather water from the Ganga for the annual pilgrimage. The yatra was scrapped final yr as properly as a result of COVID-related restrictions.

The attraction was issued throughout a gathering of the inter-state coordination committee on the yatra, chaired by DGP Ashok Kumar. Law enforcement officials from Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Delhi had been current on the assembly. DGP Kumar mentioned the Uttarakhand police would ebook these discovered coming into Haridwar below the Catastrophe Administration Act and the Epidemic Ailments Act, and place them below quarantine. The Uttarakhand police additionally urged that devotees coordinate with the police on the station stage to ship tankers and gather water from the Ganga. The state’s city growth division has already issued an order prohibiting Kanwar Yatra this yr.

In accordance with an Indian Categorical report, practically 3.5 crore devotees, or kanwariyas, visited Haridwar in 2019. In 2018, that determine stood at 2.8 crore. Officers mentioned a lot of the kanwariyas had been from western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, adopted by these from Rajasthan and Delhi.

The state authorities had earlier suspended the Char Dham Yatra. This adopted Uttarakhand Excessive Courtroom staying for 4 weeks the choice to permit residents of three districts to conduct the pilgrimage from July 1.

In accordance with information from the state’s well being division, when the Kumbh formally began on April 1, Haridwar had 626 energetic instances. On April 30, when the mela formally concluded, the quantity rocketed to 11,075 within the district. It reported a minimum of 17,226 new instances and 90 deaths between April 1 and 30.

Uttarakhand has lately been mired in political turbulence with Trivendra Singh Rawat being changed as chief minister by Tirath Singh Rawat, who himself made means for Pushkar Singh Dhami final week.