India / Ganga Snan in Haridwar cancelled; district borders to be sealed on June 20

Haridwar: The Ganga Snana in Haridwar scheduled to be held on June 20 and June 21 on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra and Nirjala Ekadashi has been cancelled.

Due to the decline in COVID-19 cases, devotees started arriving in Hardiwar in large numbers, following which the administration took the decision.

Senior Superintendent of Police D. Senthil Abudai Krishnaraj S said that devotees from outside states should not come to Haridwar on June 20 and 21.

District borders will remain sealed on both days

The district borders will also be sealed on both days, and devotees coming from other states will be sent back.

People who have RT-PCR negative report not earlier than 72 hours with registration will be allowed to come to Haridwar.

On Ganga Dussehra and Nirjala Ekadashi bathing festival, there will be a symbolic bath at Har Ki Pauri Ghat. In a symbolic bath, only the tirth purohits and the officials of the Ganga Sabha will be able to take a bath.

There will be a complete ban on holy dip by common devotees at Har Ki Pauri and other ghats.

Legal action against violators under Disaster Management Act

The district administration has also said that legal action will be taken against those who are caught taking a bath under the Disaster Management Act. Haridwar Police is also informing the devotees about these regulations through social media.

Currently, only local devotees are coming for darshan in the temples.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 9.1 million pilgrims had visited Haridwar for the Mahakumbh.

The mega event, at the time of the second wave, was widely criticised as COVID-19 protocols were openly flouted.

According to a report by HT, coronavirus cases in Haridwar jumped from 15,226 on April 1 to a total of 31,596 due to the Mahakumbh.