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With the Supreme Court on Wednesday taking suo motu cognisance of Uttar Pradesh government decision to allow Kanwar Yatra amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Yogi Adityanath government stuck to its gun, aiming to go ahead with the Yatra while ensuring strict Covid protocol and restrictions.
While the Yogi government has allowed Kanwar Yatra from July 25 despite concerns raised in various quarters over the risk posed by such events in hastening a possible third wave of COVID-19, neighbouring Uttarakhand has suspended the Yatra. The apex court has issued notices to both the Centre and UP governments and the matter will be now heard on coming Friday.
Meanwhile, the chief minister directed officials to ensure that devotees are allowed to participate in Kanwar Yatra only after they present a negative RT-PCR report and he even called up Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and requested him to allow a limited number of devotees from UP to visit Haridwar for collecting Gangajal as per tradition.
On Wednesday, Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh said that all necessary arrangements would be made for Kanwar Yatra before July 25.
"It is the responsibility of the state and we will make sure RT-PCR testing is done. It is a matter of faith and like every year it will take place. We will make sure that protocols are in place," Jai Pratap Singh said.
On the Supreme Court taking suo motu cognisance on the Yatra, Jai Pratap Singh said, “Supreme Court’s order will be followed. This is not a new yatra. Many people are connected with it through faith. We will have talks based on the SC judgement.”
ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said that this year the Yatra would be taken out from July 25 to August 6.
“We will ensure strict compliance of Covid protocol during the Yatra which will start as per announcement made by the government,” Kumar said while reacting to apex court’s move.
Additional Chief Secretary (Information) Navneet Sehgal said that a response to the apex court's notice would be submitted in the given time.
“As of now we have received information only through the media. Once the notice is received by the authorities concerned, a reply will be sent. The government will take decisions and guidelines will be issued in time. As of now, the stand of the government is that Kanwar Yatra will be allowed in the state. The Yatra is scheduled to begin on July 25 and there is still a lot of time,” he said.
The Uttar Pradesh government has allowed the annual Kanwar Yatra in the state from July 25 and officials have been asked to coordinate with neighbouring states to ensure Covid guidelines are followed. The Uttarakhand government on Tuesday cancelled the Kanwar Yatra in view of the looming threat of a third wave of COVID-19. It is for the second consecutive year that the Kanwar Yatra is not being taken out due to the pandemic in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand.
In 2019, the last time the Kanwar Yatra was organised, nearly 3.5 crore devotees (kanwariyas) had visited Haridwar while over 2-3 crore people had visited different pilgrimages in west UP. As part of the Yatra, kanwariyas trek up to or drive to ghats of river Ganga and fill pitchers with river water before making the journey back to their towns and villages. While much of the traffic is usually headed to Haridwar, pilgrims also go to Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Amroha, Shamli, Saharanpur, Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Kheri, Barabanki, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Bhadohi, Mau, Sitapur, Mirzapur and Lucknow in UP.