KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Friday did not ban this year’s Gangasagar Mela but laid down stringent conditions, including strict implementation of the Covid curbs announced by the state on January 2 restricting social, religious and cultural gatherings to 50 persons at a time.
Disposing of a petition supported by a section of doctors urging scrapping of the Gangasagar Mela at a time the country was experiencing a third wave of Covid, the division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Kesang Doma Bhutia constituted a three-member committee comprising the leader of the Opposition, state human rights commission chairperson and a state representative to keep vigil on compliance of the court order as well as the measures declared by the state in its affidavit submitted before the HC.
The panel has been empowered to recommend a ban on entry of visitors to Sagar Island if it notices any shortcoming in compliance.
The HC also ordered the state to declare Sagar Island a ‘notified area’ as per the Gangasagar Mela Act, 1976, within 24 hours to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of pilgrims. It further directed the home secretary to issue advertisements to make people aware of the risks of visiting Gangasagar between January 8 and 16 and appeal to them to stay away to remain safe.
