Ahead Of UP Polls, Another 'Super-Spreader' Threat?

Worried over the rising graph of Omicron driven Covid surge, the Uttarakhand government has decided to ban devotees from taking a dip in the Ganga river on January 14 - Makar Sankranti - in Haridwar, an event attended by lakhs of people. But things are playing out differently in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, where the government is going ahead with the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, that also begins on Makar Sankranti when lakhs take a dip at the famous Sangam. The government claims Covid protocol is in place but the ground reality seems to be different.