HARIDWAR: In yet another attempt to keep kanwarias out of Uttarakhand, authorities have deployed 10 tankers carrying Gangajal at state borders for devotees trying to enter Haridwar to collect holy water from the Ganga.
Despite strict checking at railway stations and heavy police presence, kanwarias continue to troop in. On Tuesday, 400 kanwarias were sent home from Haridwar railway station, a day after 240 had been ferried out of the state. At least 100 vehicles that had an unknown number of kanwarias were also turned away at Narsan and Chidiyapur borders by Haridwar police.
On Tuesday, 10 Gangajal tankers were stationed at various border areas. Haridwar SSP Senthil Avoodai Krishna Raj S told TOI that 30 tankers have been kept ready to transport Gangajal on demand to neighbouring states. “While 10 tankers are currently deployed in border areas, one each has been sent to Bijnor and Muzaffarnagar in UP. We will also send some tankers to Haryana.”
TOI had earlier reported that kanwarias were arriving in plain clothes in the district, making it harder for police to spot them. Now all passengers exiting the Haridwar railway station are being asked for RT-PCR reports and other information. Some are being subjected to rapid antigen testing. “We are checking details of all passengers to ensure no kanwarias can enter Haridwar,” said station house officer Anuj Singh (Government Railway Police).
Twenty-eight buses at eight railway stations are carrying kanwarias out of state borders while others are being sent back on trains. The railways are also distributing pamphlets and making announcements at stations about cancellation of Kanwar yatra.
On Sunday, 14 kanwarias from Haryana who reached Haridwar were detained and booked under Disaster Management Act. They were quarantined at a local ashram.
