After Cancellation Of Kanwar Yatra, Uttarakhand Allows States To Take Ganga Water In Tankers

Following the cancellation of the annual Kanwar Yatra to Haridwar for the second year, the Uttarakhand government has said that it will allow other states to take Ganga water in tankers.

Additional Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan said that if there is a demand for carrying 'Ganga water' from the states, then the state government will give full cooperation.

"Permission will be given to carry 'Ganga water' from Haridwar through water tankers," he added.

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Provisions to distribute Ganga water from Haridwar to devotees from other states was one of the points the Central government had made in its submission in the Supreme Court on Friday while agreeing that the pilgrimage should not be allowed in the wake of the COVID-19 third wave fears.

No movement of Kanwariyas

On Saturday, Haridwar police said that the borders of the state will remain sealed and a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) of the police will also be deployed to prevent the movement of Kanwariyas.

"All the boundaries of the district will remain sealed so that the Kanwariyas cannot come to Haridwar. Along with this, QRT of the police will also be deployed," a notice issued by the Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Senthil Avoodai K Raj S said.

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"Under no circumstances will Kanwariyas be allowed to come to Haridwar," he said.

At the same time, the police have also banned the Kanwar market in Haridwar. "This year there will be no Kanwar market," SSP said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Haridwar police asked people not to arrive in the district for the yatra, warning that those who try to enter the district, their vehicles will be confiscated and legal action shall be taken against them under the Disaster Management Act for violating the rules.

Kanwar Yatra begins on July 25

The two-week long annual pilgrimage for devotees of Lord Shiva, the Kanwar Yatra is due to begin on July 25 of this year.

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As part of the pilgrimage, devotees travel to Haridwar in Uttarakhand and other parts of the country to fetch holy water from the Ganga river.

Lakhs of devotees, known as Kanwariyas, from northern states travel on foot to collect water from the Ganga at Haridwar and then offer the same at various Shiva temples.

While Haridwar is one of the key locations in the pilgrimage, a majority of the devotees come from states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana and Rajasthan.

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Though Uttrakhand had announced the cancellation of the pilgrimage, the government in Uttar Pradesh had decided to go ahead with it.

But the SC which took suo motu cognisance of it told the state in no uncertain terms that the pilgrimage cannot happen.