The Health secretary, Kumbh Mela officer and Haridwar district magistrate appeared via video conferencing in the hearing of public interest litigations in the Uttarakhand high court regarding the condition of quarantine centres. The officials informed the court about the preparations for the Kumbh Mela but this did not satisfy the court. The division bench of chief justice RS Chauhan nd justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari directed the government to set up enough tents to accommodate 50 lakh persons while also arranging for their Covid checks.
The officials have been directed to ensure completing of the remaining construction works and appear in the court on February 22.
It will be recalled that advocate Dushyant Mainali and Dehradun resident Sacchidanand Dabral had filed separate PILs in the high court regarding the state of quarantine centres and Covid hospitals in the state, seeking better health facilities for those who had returned to the state during the pandemic.
Following court directions in the past, the district legal services authority secretary had submitted a detailed report on the state of quarantine centres acknowledging that the condition of quarantine centres in the state was not good. Following this, the court had directed formation of district committees under the district magistrates for regular monitoring of the hospitals
