The Haridwar Kumbh started formally on Thursday, but once again the rising speed of the corona infection has slowed down the speed of devotees to reach here.
Crowds like Kumbh are neither seen on the streets, nor in the fair area nor at Har Ki Paidi, the main ghat of Haridwar.
The pilgrims coming from outside are being thoroughly investigated at all the borders of Haridwar so that no Covid infected person can enter the fair area and Haridwar city.
Following the High Court's directive, the state government has issued a clear guideline that it would be mandatory to show the certificate of negative report of Covid-19 to the devotees coming from outside, especially the 12 states most affected by the corona infection.
If any positive was found during the investigation done here, he will be sent back to his house.
Fear of Corona and arranging the fair
Additional Fair Officer Ramji Sharan Sharma says that it is a challenge to organize a fair during the growing transition of Covid, but efforts are being made that the fair will be completed with the help of local people and devotees from outside.
Speaking to the BBC, Ramji Sharan Sharma says, "Since there is a festival of faith, keeping in mind the public sentiments, the government has decided to organize it briefly. It has been tried not to take any infection from outside Can come. ''
"On the first day, we conducted 12,796 rapid antigen tests, in which seven people came positive. They were returned. These tests were conducted for those people, who did not bring negative reports of the Covid test. "
At around one o'clock in the afternoon at Har Ki Paidi, some devotees who came from Rajasthan after taking a bath in the Ganges looked very happy. Diwakar Chandra, a resident of Udaipur, told the BBC that all the people who accompanied him had a Covid test at the railway station itself and the reports of all the people turned out to be negative.
Diwakar Chandra told, "I have come to Haridwar Kumbh for the second time and have gone to Kumbh Mela in other places too. The arrangements are very good, but the fear of Corona is visible. Very few people are coming from outside. This is also the reason that so many restrictions have been imposed. However, it is also necessary to do so. "
On the bridges built to cross the Ganges river on Har Ki Paidi, there was almost the same crowd on Thursday, as it is here in the normal days. Hoardings have been put in place requesting the administration to apply masks and adopt social distancing.
Shells have also been made to bathe by making a distance on the ghats. But following these rules, very few people are seen. Yes, the mask is definitely on most people's mouths. One reason for this is also being told that people are wearing masks for fear of invoicing.
On the left bank of the river Ganges at Har Ki Paidi, people may have met far and wide but due to all the shops and eating places towards the right bank, the city was also crowded and people were unaware of social distancing. It is a different matter that it was being instructed by loudspeakers installed from place to place.
Neither physical distancing nor mask
Bachchan Singh Rawat's shop is located at the right crossroads on the right bank of Har Ki Paidi. Bachchan Singh Rawat says that even though Kumbh has started, the feeling like Kumbh is not coming.
He says, "Ever since Corona has started coming again, this has scared people more. There is such a crowd here on normal days, whereas earlier Kumbh Melas did not even have a place to set foot here."
But a group of young men from Delhi appeared to be most fearless.
Sumedha, who works in a private company, said, "We have not got the test done, because we had come here four-five days ago. Earlier we were in Rishikesh. The media is hyping about Corona. ''
He said, "There is no social distancing nor any mask is visible in the election rallies. Now even his vaccine has come, so what to fear? "
For the Ganga bath at Haridwar Kumbh, which runs from April 1 to April 30, devotees will have to bring the RTPCR negative report of Covid-19 up to 72 hours in advance. During this time, the health department is conducting random sampling of devotees in all the seven boundaries of the district and the fair area.
Even in Dharamshalas and hotels, devotees will not be able to stay without Covid negative report.
Although a senior official of the Kumbh Mela, on the condition of anonymity, said that efforts are being made to implement all these guidelines, but it cannot be claimed that this is happening everywhere and without negative reports here No one will be able to come.
According to the official, "It is just beginning. After April 12-13, the crowd is expected to increase. There will be royal baths as well and the saints who take royal baths have to follow the Covid rules. They are mostly devout in their arena without masks." Let's live. "
The administration has also claimed to have adequate arrangements for treatment and isolation of Covid infected people.
Additional fair officer Sharan Sharma says, "We have built 39 hospitals, of which 700 are beds that we have kept ready for emergency. There are 10,000 beds, which we have reserved as a Covid Center."
He said that a joint team of police officers and magistrates and doctors has been formed at the entrance, in which people coming from outside are being investigated.
Like other parts of the country, the corona infection is happening very fast in Uttarakhand and Haridwar. Just before the Kumbh was organized, Haridwar was stirred up after the arrival of 32 Corona-infected devotees at an ashram in Haripur Kalan.
However, the administration has sealed the ashram and infected people have been isolated in the ashram school.
Barricades have been erected near the administrative office to control the crowd on the occasion of the bathing festival, but the administration feels that this time the Kumbh will not be so crowded that they are needed.
Shakeel Ahmed, an employee who is barricading, says, "This arrangement is done in every Kumbh. Here also every time it is done so that people can be put in line when the crowd increases. The crowd is less sure, but on the feast day these enclosures Will be needed because the crowd will increase on the festival. "
This time in Haridwar, Kumbh is being held in the 11th year instead of 12 years, because Amrit Yoga for Kumbh is being formed a year ago. According to local people, such an opportunity has come after 83 years.
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