High Court Asks Uttarakhand Government To Issue Guidelines For Chardham Yatra

Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma of the high court made the observation during the virtual hearing of a batch of PILs related to the state government's handling of the pandemic on Tuesday.

The Uttarakhand High Court has asked the state government to publish the standard operating procedures for the forthcoming Chardham yatra in view of the rising COVID-19 cases, observing that the pilgrimage cannot be allowed to turn into another Kumbh.  Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma of the high court made the observation during the virtual hearing of a batch of PILs related to the state government's handling of the pandemic on Tuesday.  The yatra is slated to start from May 14. COVID-19 norms were openly flouted during the Haridwar Kumbh Mela. A majority of the 48.51 lakh people who took part in the last two royal baths (shahi snan) held on the occasion of Somwati Amavasya on April 12 and Mesh Sankranti on April 14 were seen without masks and did not maintain social distancing.