Digital Desk : In the wake of Covid cases rising in the country in an alarming rate, the Calcutta High Court has given its nod to Ganga Sagar Mela to be held but ordered for the setting up of a committee that would oversee the ban on entry to Sagar island, where the pilgrimage is held, in case of violation of health safety norms.
After the HC’s allowance, the entry of pilgrims have already begun to the mela with four Sadhus already testing positive for the Covid contagion.
As India records more than a lakh covid cases in the past 9-10 days, the Ganga Sagar Mela will attract a huge crowd of pilgrims, tourists and local visitors, raising concerns of a mass Covid outbreak.
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The Mela is one of the biggest religious confluences of the east that attracts lakhs of people to take a dip in the Ganges. A public gathering of such massive scale will prove disastrous owing to the rising Covid cases and the advent of the Omicron variant which has already infected many.
Not to forget, the scary situation that broke out in Kumbh Mela, with many testing positive for the Covid-19 even after the management following Covid protocols, can prove like a Mela Déjà vu this time too.
“Ganga Sagar Mela will not be called off,” said West Bengal Chief Minister, refusing to impose any strict restrictions on the holy confluence after drawing a parallel with Kumbh Mela.
With no lessons learnt, the holding of this mass holy confluence will surely prove disastrous, and being ignorant even after knowing the situation that catapulted to a mass covid spread in such gatherings, will only add onto the burden on the Covid warriors.
West Bengal has been already witnessing a rapid surge in Covid cases, forcing the government to impose restrictions and night curfew to contain the infection. Even after multiple cases being reported and many PILs filed by the health workers over the holding of the Ganga Sagar Mela, the state government is adamant to conduct the holy confluence.
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As per the new instructions released by the organizing committees, there will be e-snan and online registration for those who cannot take part in the physical event. The South 24 Parganas administration will be hiring drones to sprinkle the holy water and there will be covid test centres at all the entry points of Sagar Island.
Along with screening booths, hospitals have been set up with 500 bed capacity in possible cases of Covid.
Even amidst all these preparations, four Sadhus have already tested positive for the Covid. A ticking Covid bomb rings the bell of Ganga Sagar Mela it seems.
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