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• In a plea seeking cancellation of the Ganagsagar Mela scheduled to take place from day after tomorrow, the West Bengal Government has told Calcutta High Court that it has decided to go ahead with the fair.

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The Calcutta High Court bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Kesang Doma Bhutia reserved its decision in the plea seeking cancellation of this year's Gangasagar Mela amidst rising Covid-19 cases in the State of West Bengal. The Mela is scheduled to take place from 8-16 January.

Today, Advocate General S.N. Mukherjee apprised the Court that various arrangements have been made online for the pilgrims. Arrangements have been made for e-bath and e-darshan. Arrangements have been made to restrict gathering of pilgrims in one place. 

He further submitted before the Court that in the State of West Bengal, close to 71.87 percent of adults have been given the first doze of vaccine. Furthermore, he submitted that approximately 50 percent of the population in the State have been double vaccinated. He further informed the Court that localites of Sagar Island have been double vaccinated and that the positivity rate at the Diamond Harbour Health DIstrict is under control. The AG also stated that the State government is not expecting more than 5 lakh people this time during the Mela. 

It was further submitted that close to 10,000 police personnel, 5000 volunteers, and 735 people from the medical team have been deployed to take care of any exigency. All of these persons have been double vaccinated, it was stated further.

The AG further informed that temporary hospital has been set up on the Mela ground and that all pilgrims will have to submit vaccine certificates and that provisions have been made to conduct rapid antigen tests. Arrangements have been made for "E-Snan" and" E-Darshan".

Per Contra, Advocate Srijib Chakraborty representing petitioner contended that the Kolkata International Film Festival has already been cancelled with only four people as reported positive, in comparison, the mela is mammoth. Chakraborty further referred to the rising number of covid cases in the state which additional 5000 cases in one day. 

The counsel further emphasized that the State government should have notified the Sagar Island as a 'notified area' as per the provision of Section 2(d) of the Ganga Sagar Mela Act, 1976.

Accordingly, he prayed for directions to immediately stop the Ganga Sagar Mela.

Further, Advocate Aniruddha Chatterjee representing the West Bengal Doctors' Forum (intervening party) informed the court that a covid hospital has still not been set up at Sagar Island and that Sagar Rural Hospital has only 60 hospital beds with only 11 doctors.

The Court reserved its judgement on the matter and said mela of conducted has to be conducted in a regulated manner.

Further, the Court hinted at the possibility of assigning an independent body to keep a check on the way the mela is being regulated. 

The Court was hearing a plea filed by a Dr. Avinandan Mondal who has filed this petition contending that Covid-19infection may spread further as around 30 lakh pilgrims visit the religious fair at Sagar Island every year.

In the previous hearing the Court had sought the government's response. The Court had further observed that "Having regard to the severity of spreading of COVID virus, we expect that the State will seriously consider the plea to ban the Mela this year and take a decision in this regard keeping in view the following factors: (1) Earlier order of this Court holding that life is more important in every sense in comparison to religious practices, beliefs and faith. (2) Possibility of spread of virus on account of oral droplets and nasal droplets in the river water and their percolation and transmission through the water when the infected pilgrims will take holy dip. (3) The aspect of safety of not only the pilgrims but the persons coming in contact with the infected pilgrims and the police personnel deployed in the Mela and frontline health workers deputed in this process. (4) The State will duly take into account the positivity rate of virus and fact that within the last 24 hours there is 50 per cent increase in number of cases and also the fact that large number of doctors are already infected."

Dr. Avinandan Mondal v. State of West Bengal & Ors.