Uttarakhand / If someone comes to Haridwar on Kanwar Yatra, they will be quarantined for 14 days: Police

Haridwar: Days after Uttarakhand government cancelled the Kanwar Yatra in view of the Covid-19 situation, the Haridwar police have decided to step up vigil to ensure that no person enters the district for the pilgrimage.

In a notice, the police have stated that all borders of Haridwar will be sealed during the Kanwar Mela, scheduled to begin on 25 July. Further, those who travel to the district from other states will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine.

"Kanwar Mela 2021 has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In view of this, we request all devotees to cooperate with the police force this year and not reach Haridwar to collect water from River Ganga," the police said.

"All borders of the Haridwar district will be sealed during the Kanwar Mela. People do not have permission to participate in the pilgrimage due to the Covid-19 situation. Those who enter the district from other states will have to undergo mandatory institutional quarantine for 14 days," they added.

The police further went on to say that any vehicle that is found attempting to enter Haridwar will be seized.

"Any violation of the rules will lead to police action under the Disaster Management Act," said police.

The Uttarakhand government cancelled the Kanwar Yatra on Tuesday in view of the looming threat of the third wave of Covid.

"We decided to cancel the yatra, according topmost priority to human life in view of the threat of a possible third wave, the surfacing of the Delta Plus variant of the virus and its impact across the country and abroad," Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said.

"The decision was taken after a meeting with senior officials and considering all aspects into account including the opinion of medical experts," he added.

Dhami also asked director general of police Ashok Kumar to coordinate with officials of the neighbouring states and request them to take effective steps to curb the spread of the virus.

It is for the second consecutive year that the yatra is not being held due to the pandemic in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand.