The Haridwar Kumbh Mela happened from April 1 to 30, 2021, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The Kumbh Mela Force, a government body, said at least 9.1 million pilgrims took the holy dip in the Ganga from January 14 till April.
The mega event was widely criticised for rampant violation of Covid-19 protocols and massive overcrowding during an alarming surge in cases that inundated hospitals and sparked critical shortages of medical supplies. The highest gathering of 3.5 million was reported for the Somvati Amavasya holy dip on April 12. The Kumbh Mela at Haridwar is held every 12 years.
Haridwar District Magistrate (DM) and officer in-charge of the Kumbh Mela, Deepak Rawat said, “We are appealing to the people and making them aware about Covid-19 safety protocol. We are asking people to wear masks but ensuring social distancing in this very small area (where the Kumbh Mela is being held) is going to be a really challenging task.”
The Haridwar Kumbh Mela is being held at a time when India is battered by the second wave of Covid-19. For more than a week now, the country has been reporting more than 1 lakh cases every day. The highest was on Monday when India reported over 1.68 lakh cases.
Several states have imposed night curfews and other restrictions to break the chain of transmission. There are reports of states facing shortage of Covid-19 vaccines and hospital beds for Covid-19 patients.
Credit : India Today
Picture Credit : Google
