Preparations for Magh Mela, which is scheduled to be held on January 14, has been upscaled in Prayagraj.
Magh Mela is an annual festival that is held in the month of Magha (according to the Hindu calendar) near river banks and Hindu temples.
The devotees take the holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of Yamuna, Ganga, and mythological Saraswati, on the occasion of Paush Purnima.
During the entire month of Magh Mela, the pilgrims stay on the banks of Sangam in tents and take an early morning bath and participate in other religious duties.
Speaking toregarding the preparations for the mela, Senior Superintendent of Police Rajeev N Mishra said, "The Magh Mela is going to commence from January 14. All the preparations by the police are in place. The police here will ensure that only those who have tested negative for COVID-19 will be allowed to enter the mela."
"While carrying out the preparations, as many as seven police personnel tested positive for COVID-19. These police officials have self-isolated themselves and are adhering to the COVID-19 protocols," he said.
The police official added, "There are 16 entry points for the mela. All the people involved in the mela have to be double vaccinated. It is a challenging task, but Uttar Pradesh Police is fully prepared."
State Minister Sidharth Nath Singh also briefed about the preparations. He said, "COVID-19 protocols will be strictly observed. Several arrangements have been done to make it safest Magh Mela in view of COVID-19."
Uttar Pradesh reported 11,089 fresh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, raising the tally of active cases in the state to 44,466.
Further, as many as five more deaths were logged in thereby increasing the overall death toll to 22,937, the state health bulletin said. One death each was reported from Meerut, Moradabad, Kanpur, Gonda and Azamgarh, it said.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor