Covid-19 norms a far cry at third ‘Shani Snan’

Hundreds of thousands of people violated the government’s Covid-19 guidelines again as they gathered for the third “shahi snan” at the Mahakumbh in Haridwar on Wednesday, with officials saying 1.35 million devotees took a dip in the Ganga to mark the occasion, even as the country continues its alarming second wave of the infectious disease.

The size of the gathering was smaller than the 3.12 million figure at the previous “shahi snan” (royal bath) and the 2.5 million expected by the mela administration, but flagrant violations of social distancing norms and mask protocol could be seen in the crowd.

While some reports said earlier in the day that the Mahakumbh could be curtailed by two weeks to end after the “shahi snan” on Wednesday in view of the Covid-19 surge, officials denied that any such move was being considered, adding that the event would conclude on the planned date of April 30. “There are no such reports of ending the Mahakumbh before the designated period. We are preparing for the fourth shahi snan to be held on April 27,” mela officer Deepak Rawat said.

Security personnel could be seen handing out challans to some people in the crowd over violations of the Covid-19 norms, but the majority of seers gathered to bathe in the Ganga were in violation of Covid-appropriate behaviour.

Uttarakhand health secretary Amit Negi, meanwhile, pleaded before the Nainital high court to reduce the target of 50,000 RT-PCR tests in the Kumbh city every day during the Mahakumbh. Negi said the administration conducted “about 39,000 tests, both RT-PCR and rapid antigen, on the shahi snans”. He added that “it is difficult for the administration to conduct the targeted RT-PCR tests as majority of the devotees are part of floating population.”

“We are generating awareness regarding wearing of masks and other Covid guidelines among all the devotees including seers. Proper arrangements were made with adequate stock of masks and hand sanitisers in the mela area,” said inspector general of the mela force, Sanjay Gunjyal. On the first day of the Mahakumbh, 149 cases were reported in the Haridwar district out the state total of 500, which rose to 594 on April 13 with a state total of 1,925.

Anoop Nautiyal, a social activist who has been monitoring the pandemic situation in state, said: “The Nainital High Court has directed the administration to conduct 50,000 tests daily during the Mahakumbh. However, the average number of tests conducted in the 13 days of Mahakumbh so far is 19,195, way less than the target of 50,000.”