The Kolkata High Court is scheduled to hear two public interest lawsuits on Thursday calling for the cancellation of Ganga Sagar Mela and the postponement of elections in four civic bodies, citing a surge in Covid-19 cases in West Bengal. The state has seen a more than 30-fold surge in daily cases over the past 10 days. On Wednesday, West Bengal reported 14,022 infections, compared to 439 on December 27.
The High Court Chamber, headed by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava, on Wednesday urged the government to consider a request to cancel the Ganga Sagar Mela.
Srijib Chakraborty, a lawyer representing the petitioner, said: “The state government has been asked to file an affidavit on Thursday when the matter is brought to the hearing again.”
Millions of pilgrims are expected to take part in Mela on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on January 15, to bask in holiness at the confluence of the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal, while municipal elections in Asansol, Bidhannagar, Siliguri and Chandannagar will be held on January 22 day.
West Bengal recorded the peak of a second wave of Covid-19 on May 14 last year after parliamentary elections. The daily number of cases soared to 20,846. Health experts have blamed disregard for safety norms or a surge in crowds. Thousands of people gather on Park Street in Kolkata for Christmas in December 2021. Doctors and health experts have blamed such gatherings for the current surge.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
