Wednesday, 14 July 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
Decision taken by CM Dhami after taking the opinion of experts
In view of the concern raised from the various quarters on the Kanwad Yatra and its possible serious repercussions on the contagion of Covid-19, the Uttarakhand government has suspended the Yatra this year in the state. The Yatra is scheduled to commence from July 26.
This decision was taken by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday evening after a brainstorming meeting with the senior officers. In a meeting held at the state secretariat, Dhami directed the secretary, home and director general of Uttarakhand police to take necessary steps in this direction. He said that coordination with the neighbouring states should be done on the issue so that the contagion is prevented from spreading. The meeting was attended by chief secretary S S Sandhu, additional chief secretary Anand Bardhan, DG Police Ashok Kumar and others.
Talking to media persons later, Dhami said that the government considering factors like the Delta variant, the government does not wish to turn Haridwar into a hub of Covid-19, adding that saving human life is top priority.
The decision of the Uttarakhand government to suspend the Kanwad Yatra assumes significance since the public opinion in Uttarakhand was in favour of banning the Yatra this year.
The experts have warned that if held, the Kanwad Yatra could cause a spike in the contagion of Covid 19 in the state. Some of them have specifically said that amid the looming spectre of a third wave of the disease, the Kanwad Yatra could prove to be a super spreader event five times more dangerous than the Kumbh Mela held in Haridwar in the month of April. On Monday the Indian Medical Association (IMA) too had asked the government to suspend the Yatra this year.
