Borders of Haridwar will remain sealed today and tomorrow (November 30) as a measure to ensure that devotees do not enter the district to take the holy dip in Ganga which is not allowed on the occasion of Kartik Purnima. Lakhs of devotees from different parts of the country including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh converge on the banks of the Ganga here for a ritual bath in the river on the occasion every year.
However, in compliance with the Centre's guidelines in view of COVID-19, it has been decided to stop people from taking a bath in the river on Kartik Purnima this year as it will lead to crowding on the ghats which may cause spread of the virus, Haridwar District Magistrate C Ravishankar said.
Those who violate the orders will be punished under the Epidemic Act 1897 and the Disaster Management Act 2005, he said.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand government has made it mandatory for people coming to the state from Delhi to get their Rapid Antigen Covid-19 test done. At present, the state has recorded 4,812 active cases of coronavirus, while 67,514 people have recovered from the deadly virus, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) bulletin reported today.
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