Huge crowds at Kumbh Mela between Covid wave

Kumbh Mela: Tens of thousands of people have gathered to take a dip in the holy Ganges river as a deadly second Covid-19 wave continues to sweep India. Moreover, the devotees are marking an auspicious bathing day on Monday at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar city of the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Officials say they are struggling to impose safety norms due to huge crowds.

Hindus believe bathing at the river will cleanse their sins and brings salvation. The Kumbh Mela takes place every 12 years and the venue is choosing from amongst four cities including Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik, and Ujjain. Haridwar’s turn to host the gathering came amid a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus infections.

India consistently reporting more than 1,00,000 cases daily in the past few weeks. On Monday, India logged more than 1,68,000 new cases, Overtaking Brazil to become the country with the second-highest number of cases globally.

In addition to, a total case tally of more than 13.5 million cases. India is now only behind the United States which has reported more than 31 million cases. With 13.4 million cases, Brazil is now at number three. 

Monday – Somvati Amavasya marks the biggest bathing day during the two-month-long festival with hundreds of thousands of devotees expected to take a dip. The government had earlier said that only people with Covid negative reports would be allowed at the festival. And strict measures like social distancing would be followed.

However, a number of people, including top saints, have already tested positive. This has given rise to fears that Monday’s bathing day will help the infection spread faster among the devotees. 

Difficult to ensure social distancing due to huge crowds:

The second wave is destroying India. Reports of a shortage of hospital beds and life-saving drugs have started coming in from different parts of the country.

Moreover, the state of Maharashtra is particularly affected – accounting for an average of almost 30-40% of daily cases. Measures like night curfews and limited lockdowns have been taken. But the green light given to the Kumbh Mela festival has baffled experts.

Some of them say that the worst is yet to come unless strict, urgent measures are taken and that includes ramping up vaccination. India has given more than 100 million doses so far. But the pace needs to further pick up to the spread of the virus, experts say.