Tuesday, 13 July 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
Warn that the Yatra could become a super spreader event like Kumbh and trigger a major spike in Covid contagion
The clamour to ban the proposed Kanwad Yatra is gathering momentum in Uttarakhand. The Yatra in which lakhs of followers of Lord Shiva visit the state is scheduled to commence from July 26. 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.
The Uttarakhand chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) , the powerful association of private medical practitioners, has written a letter to the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and requested him to suspend the Yatra this year. The secretary of the IMA, Dr Ajay Khanna said that every year a large number of pilgrims go to different parts of Uttarakhand carrying Kanwads. He recalled that after Kumbh in Haridwar the number of cases of Covid-19 increased exponentially and many lives were lost. He said that it would be very difficult for the authorities to enforce the Covid protocols during the Kanwad Yatra so the Yatra should not be held this time.
The founder of Social Development for Communities (SDC) foundation, Anoop Nautiyal said that even if the SoPs for Covid -19 are issued for the Kanwad Yatra, it would be impossible to enforce them. “We have seen this during Kumbh and more recently in the hill stations after relaxation in lockdown,’’ he said. Nautiyal said that more than 70 lakh people visited Haridwar during Kumbh in one month. He added that many times more people than Kumbh are expected to visit during one fortnight for Kanwad Yatra which means that the Yatra could prove to be more dangerous than Kumbh. Nautiyal said that the state would not be able to withstand the spike in contagion after Kanwad and any decision on the Yatra should be taken while keeping the probable third wave of pandemic in mind.
The medical superintendent (MS) of Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) hospital, Dr N S Khatri said that ideally the state should refrain from Kanwad Yatra because the delta plus variant has already made its appearance here.
It is pertinent to mention here that the CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that safety of the citizens is the government’s top priority. The final decision on the Kanwad Yatra will be taken considering the situation at the time and in consultation with other states.
