First Kumbh, now Char Dham: Uttarakhand HC slams state govt, says no one following Covid protocols

The Uttarakhand High Court took note of the crowd control measures in place at Char Dham shrines in view of Covid-19, and asked "why do we keep causing embarrassment to ourselves". The HC observed that nobody was following crowd control measures.

The Uttarakhand High Court on Friday came down heavily on the state government for not ensuring Covid protocols during Kumbh Mela and Char Dham Yatra in the midst of a devastating wave of Covid-19 pandemic. Uttarakhand | A bench of Chief Justice RS Chauhan & Justice Alok Verma of Uttarakhand HC reprimanded the state government, for giving permission first to Kumbh Mela, and now to Chardham, and asked to "go and see what is happening". The HC bench also observed that the Centre was not paying heed to the medical needs of people in remote areas of the state amid the raging second wave of Covid-19, saying it is giving step-motherly treatment to the hill state. Hearing a batch of PILs pertaining to the state's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, a division bench of Chief Justice R S Chauhan and Justice Alok Verma reprimanded the Uttarakhand government for giving permission first to Kumbh Mela, and then to Char Dham, and asked to "go and see what is happening".