West Bengal: Pilgrims Throng Gangasagar Mela Amid Random Testing, Strict Protocol
Medical screening is being done at every entry point and other arrangements ranging from thermal checking to sanitization, rapid antigen tests of pilgrims and much more
New Delhi: Thousand of visitors have thronged Ganga Sagar Mela after the fair commenced amid strict checking of pilgrims for double vaccination and RT-PCR tests along with random testings being conducted.
While inaugurating the annual religious fair, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged pilgrims visiting the mela to strictly follow Covid-19 guidelines and asked the Mela (Religious gathering) committee not to allow too many people to Sagar Island for the annual fair, according to the PTI report.
Two major fairs are being organised in the country amid the explosion of the Omicron-variant-led Covid-19 cases in the country.
On the other hand, High Court is likely to hear a petition against banning the Magh Mela to be held in Prayagraj.
Speaking to news agency ANI, South 24 Parganas District Magistrate Dr P Ulganathan said "Every year lakhs of devotees and sadhus come. But this time due to Covid-19, all our preparations have become complicated and a lot of extra preparation had to be done. We have made a massive arrangement for Covid management, in all the entry points.”
About three to four lakh people are expected to come and accordingly, all the preparation has been done, added the district magistrate. Authorities are abiding by the High Court that allowed the annual fair to take place, and ordered that the entire Sagar Island be declared a notified area. The bench also ordered that all pilgrims must be fully vaccinated and should test negative for Covid-19 in an RT-PCR test conducted 72 hours before reaching the venue.
"Continuous checking is being done to see if people are double vaccinated or not. RT-PCR test is being done, no one can come to the island without vaccination and without RT-PCR test and all arrangements have been made accordingly. Mask distribution is also being done so far five lakh masks have been distributed. Masks are mandatory, for this we have kept volunteers and continuous awareness is also being done and announcements are also being made," Ulganathan said according to ANI report.
“We are doing medical screening at every entry point and have made many such arrangements which range from thermal checking to sanitisation. We are also doing rapid antigen tests of pilgrims and sadhus coming to the Mela. In all the buses arranged, more than 50 percent of the capacity people are not being brought," added Ulganathan.
Besides the above arrangements, a water ambulance and an air ambulance are also available on the ground for Covid infected people. Random testing is being done to not know whether people are infected or not, he added.
All the activities of the Mela are being monitored from the Mega Control Room. CCTV cameras and drones are being used to keep an eye on each and every activity of the Mela. Besides, transportation boats, vessels, and all arrangements have been made because visitors will have to cross the ocean for the mela.
The District Magistrate said a large number of Police, Navy, Disaster Management Teams, Civil Defense Forces have been deployed to monitor the crowd management, as well as arrangements, have been made to transport people with the facility of GPRS in buses, vessels, and barges.
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