HC RAPS U’KHAND FOR ORGANISING RELIGIOUS EVENTS AMID PANDEMIC

HT Correspondent and PTI

The Uttarakhand high court on Monday pulled up the state government for continuing to allow religious events despite a surge in Covid-19 cases and doubted its preparedness to deal with the pandemic, asking it to “wake up from slumber”.

“We cannot behave like the proverbial ostrich and bury our head in sand in the face of the pandemic,” chief justice RS Chauhan and justice Alok Kumar Verma said while hearing a petition on the government’s handling of the pandemic.

The bench asked why the state was still not prepared despite combating the pandemic for more than a year, and reminded the government about predictions of a third wave. The court said the while the state reeled under the effect of the Kumbh Mela, the Purnagiri Mela took place attracting a crowd of 10,000 people.

The court questioned the state for the confusion over the Char Dham yatra, asking whether the annual pilgrimage will be allowed to become a coronavirus hotbed.

While the government says the yatra has been cancelled, the board managing the temples has issued the standard operating procedure for the yatra, it said.

On the report filed by health secretary Amit Negi on strengthening medical facilities over the past few months, the HC said it was not enough to fight the second wave, let alone the third.

NAINITAL: Allow state to use O2 produced here: Court

The high court directed the Centre to consider allowing the state to use medical oxygen generated in the state instead of sending part of it to other states. After hearing a plea claiming that the state has to send a part of the medical oxygen produced here to other states, the court maintained that oxygen should be sent to other states only when its oxygen requirement is met.