After Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, Delhi cancels Kanwar Yatra citing COVID situation

Keeping in mind the rising cases of COVID in the national capital, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Sunday cancelled the annual 'Kanwar Yatra' in the city. In an order dated July 18, the DDMA said that the Yatra which was scheduled to begin from July 25 must not be allowed in the national capital in order to curb the spread of coronavirus.

All types of gatherings, including religious and festive ones, have been already banned in Delhi till July 26, according to a previous order of the DDMA. Also, religious places, including temples, are meanwhile allowed to open without visitors.

"No celebrations, processions, gatherings, etc. shall be allowed during forthcoming Kanwar Yatra-2021 starting from July 25 in NCT of Delhi," stated an order issued by the DDMA. The order has moreover authorised all district magistrates in Delhi, as well as their respective district deputy commissioners of police to ensure strict compliance of the order, and to further adequately stimulate the field functionaries about these commands for strict compliance, by the letter.

The yatra goes on till the first week of August and sees thousands of Shiva devotees called kanwariyas' travelling mostly on foot from neighbouring states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi to collect water from the Ganges in Haridwar.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority's (DDMA) decision comes a day after the Yogi Adityanath led Uttar Pradesh government, too, cancelled the yatra, despite their decision to allow it earlier. The UP government's order came after the Supreme Court, on Friday, instructed it to reconsider its decision to allow the pilgrimage despite concerns over growing COVID cases, giving the government time till Monday to do so. The top court further notified that it would cancel the Kanwar Yatra if the Uttar Pradesh government does not do so.

On the other hand, the Uttarakhand government had already called off the yatra citing fears expressed by experts of a possible third wave of the pandemic and the risk posed by such gatherings and public congregations. The national capital - Delhi now joins Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha that have banned this year's Kanwar Yatra in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this week, Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal had said that governments should take every step to prevent the spread of COVID in the country.