Mahakumbh from today amid surge
The month-long Haridwar Mahakumbh will start from Thursday amid the Covid-19 scare with a surge in the number of cases over last few days. The mega fair is expecting a footfall in lakhs.
Mahakumbh, which will end on April 30, would be the biggest public event in the country after the pandemic last year. Considering the pandemic, the mega event has been curtailed down to a month with Covid-19 guidelines in place as per the directions of Uttarakhand High Court.
The standard operating procedures (SOP) for the Mahakumbh which includes mandatory Covid-19 RT-PCR negative test report for attendees would be in effect from Wednesday midnight. It also includes compulsory registration on the government portal- www.haridwarkumbhmela2021.com or www.haridwarkumbhpolice2021.com.
Apart from the abovementioned conditions, anyone willing to attend the Mahakumbh would have to show the online registration SMS on his mobile along with a health check-up report on the lines of Amarnath Yatra. However, people above 60 years or suffering from any ailment are advised not to attend the fair. Also, people hailing from containment zone areas will also be not allowed to attend it. Amid the fears of the Mahakumbh becoming a superspreader for Covid-19 with a recent surge which many experts are terming as a second wave, at least 32 people from an ashram in the Mela area tested positive.
What experts say
According to a health department official on condition of anonymity, the people who tested positive include pupils in the ashram, its staffers and few elderly people. “It is suspected that all of them got the infection from a devotee who visited the ashram. As of now, all the infected people have been isolated in the school of ashram which has been now sealed for sanitisation and other required steps,” said the official. With Covid-19 cases rising in the state, especially in Dehradun and Haridwar, experts stressed upon strict adherence to the Covid-19 restrictions. Former Indian Medical Association (IMA) Uttarakhand secretary Dr DD Chowdhury who has been treating Covid-19 patients said, “The surge in the number of cases is surely a matter of concern. But the only effective way to curb it is the strict implementation of the Covid-19 precautions.”
Stressing on the need to wear masks, he said, “The most important thing that should be followed is the wearing of masks as studies have suggested that it reduces the chance of getting infected by almost 90%. The government should ensure that all the precautions are implemented.” Another expert Anoop Nautiyal, who has been keeping an eye on the Covid-19 situation in Uttarakhand said, “The government should increase the number of tests to trace the infections.”
“As per the directions of the Centre to test and track, the state government should increase the Covid-19 RT-PCR tests to about 70%. Increasing the number of tests is the only way to curb it. The more the tests are done, the more infections would be traced for necessary action,” said Nautiyal.
Government is fully alert: Govt spokesperson
Cabinet minister and government spokesperson Subodh Uniyal, meanwhile, said that the government had made all the arrangements for Mahakumbh and is fully alert to respond to any situation amid the pandemic. “We will ensure the adherence to the Covid-19 SOP as per the directions of the Centre and High Court. We have made all the arrangements including health and security to ensure a safe and healthy Mahakumbh,” said Uniyal.
He further added that adequate number of security personnel, medical staff have been deployed at the Mahakumbh with state chief secretary ensuring all the arrangements with his three-day visit here a few days back.
Uniyal said, “It has been made mandatory for all the attendees to carry a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test report while entering the Mela.
However, if some people fail to carry it then we have made testing arrangements at the border checkpoints of Haridwar.”
Security in place
State director general of police, Ashok Kumar on the security arrangements said, “On the first day of Mahakumbh, about 5,000 security personnel from various Central paramilitary forces and state police would look after the security. No stone would be left unturned to ensure a safe and secure Mahakumbh.”
Earlier on Tuesday evening, the state government issued travel restrictions on people coming from 12 states with high Covid-19 cases under which people inbound from there have to mandatorily carry a Covid-19 RT-PCR negative test report. The travel restrictions were introduced followed by a Covid-19 review meeting held by chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat on Tuesday.
Under the guidelines issued on the same by state chief secretary Om Prakash, people coming from Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan are needed to carry the negative RT-PCR test report with a validity of not less than 72 hours prior to their entry in the state by air, road or rail.
The guidelines issued by the chief secretary also suggested that, “People above 65 years of age, people with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below 10 years of age from the above-mentioned states should avoid travelling to Uttarakhand except for unavoidable circumstances.”