SAGAR ISLANDS: At the very least 54,000 folks throughout the nation have up to now acquired holy water from the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal, because the West Bengal authorities organized for ‘e-snan’ facility to keep away from crowding on the Gangasagar Mela within the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federal government has been selling the ‘e-snan’ (e- bathing) facility to ship the holy water and ‘prasad’ to anybody who orders for it from any a part of the nation for a supply payment of Rs 150, state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee mentioned.
“Up to now, 54,000 folks have acquired the holy water from the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal at their houses in numerous elements of the nation,” he mentioned.
Yearly, lakhs of pilgrims from throughout the nation and overseas flock to the Sagar Island — about 130 km from Kolkata — to take the holy dip on the event of “Makar Sankranti”.
Additionally they supply prayers on the Kapil Muni temple throughout the Gangasagar honest, thought-about to be the second- largest congregation after the Kumbh Mela.
Makar Sankranti marks the tip of the winter solstice month and starting of longer days.
In keeping with the calendar, the timings of the holy dip this 12 months shall be for twenty-four hours from 6.02 am on January 14. Two lakh pilgrims have already arrived on the Gangasagar Mela until January 12, of whom 5 individuals have been discovered COVID-19 constructive, the minister mentioned.
Mukherjee additionally mentioned the state authorities has made elaborate preparations to make sure that pilgrims observe the COVID protocols and return safely after taking the holy dip and paying obeisance on the Kapil Muni temple.
In a report positioned earlier than the Calcutta Excessive Court docket in reference to a PIL, searching for strict measures to forestall transmission of COVID-19 as a consequence of enormous gatherings of pilgrims on the honest, the state authorities has mentioned that preparations for ‘e-snan’ and ‘e-darshan’ have been made.
Medical screening camps with thermal checking amenities have been arrange in any respect main entry factors to the honest, it mentioned.
The state has additionally arrange 13 speedy antigen testing centres, 5 RT-PCR testing amenities, eight secure houses with 615 beds. Eleven quarantine amenities, seven COVID hospitals with 600 beds and 6 wellness centres have been constructed.
Greater than 2,500 well being personnel have been deployed for dealing with the scenario, the report mentioned, including that inexperienced hall preparations for emergency evacuation of individuals have additionally been made.
The state authorities mentioned it would make sure that all pilgrims put on face masks, preserve bodily distancing and use sanitiser.
All folks on the honest shall be supplied with an insurance coverage cowl of Rs 5 lakh from January 8 to 16.
The state authorities has opened a management room for registering any criticism and grievance in reference to the Gangasagar Mela.
Round 9,000 police personnel have been deployed in and across the island for the honest.
