Covid-19: The Frightening Sights Of Kumbh Mela

As the second wave is wreaking havoc in India, several million people have gathered at the Kumbh Mela religious festival in Haridwar city in order to take their holy baths. Uttarakhand’s Haridwar is entirely filled with heavy crowds due to tourists and policemen say that they are failing to impose safety norms due to unimaginable mob.

As we know, the Kumbh Mela takes place every 12 years and among four regular cities such as Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain, 2021 is witnessing Haridwar for Kumbh Mela celebrations without any safety measures. But, amid a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus infections, the sight of a huge crowd looks petrifying. On Monday, India reported more than 168,000 new cases, overtaking Brazil to become the country with the second-highest number of cases globally.

This is the reason why health officials have stepped forward and asked the centre to cancel the Kumbh Mela festival. But anyhow, the government went ahead thinking safety rules would settle everything. On the contrary, the pictures show a lack of social distancing and the dearth of face masks. “We are continuously appealing to people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. But due to the huge crowd, it is practically not possible to issue challans,” inspector general of police Sanjay Gunjyal said.

Nearly 2.1 million devotees had bathed in the river by noon and Somvati Amavasya on Monday marks as the busiest day during the two-month-long festival. In spite of the government’s reiteration on entry rules (only people who have Covid negative reports are allowed), there were a huge number of people, including priests, who tested positive.