Kumbh Mela witnesses low footfall on first day in Haridwar amid COVID-19 scare

Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], April 2 : Kumbh Mela in Haridwar witnessed a low footfall of devotees at Har Ki Pauri ghat on the first day amid the rising cases of COVID-19.
On Thursday, devotees took holy dips at the ghat on the first day of the Kumbh while adhering to the protocols put in place amid the pandemic. Announcements regarding social distancing, mask-wearing, etc are being made at the ghat and sanitiser stations have also been installed.
The Uttarakhand government has already released a set of guidelines that is to be followed, which requires people to strictly adhere to COVID-19 norms. A negative RT-PCR test report not older than 72 hours before arrival has been made mandatory for devotees gathering for the Kumbh.
The central government has already directed the Uttarakhand government to follow all the "stringent measures" to control the spread of the deadly virus during the Kumbh.
There will be three major bathing dates (shahi snan) on April 12, 14 and 27 during the Kumbh Mela this year.
Kumbh is held periodically at four different locations in India (Nashik, Haridwar, Prayagraj, and Ujjain) every four years.
In normal circumstances, Kumbh is held for nearly four months but this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the duration of the congregation has been curtailed to one month only.