With the surge in new Covid19 cases, the Dhubri district administration ordered that the devotees must produce Covid19 negative reports, who want to attend the Dhubri Ashokastami Mela 2021.

The Dhubri district administration said the Covid19 negative report should not older than 72 hours.

The Dhubri Ashokastami Mela 2021 is scheduled to begin on April 20.

On this auspicious occasion, thousands of Hindu devotees come from different districts of Lower Assam and neighbouring West Bengal and gather in different ghats of river Brahmputra in Dhubri town to take a holy bath.

Also read: Over 5,000 test Covid19 positive at Kumbh Mela

The order, signed by Dhubri District Magistrate Deba Kumar Kalita, said Section 144 has already been imposed across the district prohibiting assembly of five or more persons at a place.

Accordingly, keeping in view of the rising cases of Covid19, mass gathering would not be allowed and the devotees have been asked to show proof of a Covid19 test before taking a dip in river Brahmaputra on the occasion of Ashokastami.

Also read: Second wave of COVID-19: Over 100 devotees test positive at Kumbh Mela as people violate protocols

Dhubri Ashokastami Mela is one of the largest religious gatherings in the district.

On Sunday, Dhubri reported one new positive case of COVID19 and as per report from the Data Manager IDSP, till Sunday, a total of 35 positive cases have been detected in the district and 1 death has been reported in the 2nd wave of Covid19.

Meanwhile, at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to keep the Haridwar Kumbh Mela “symbolic” after thousands of people, who attended the Mela, tested Covid19 positive, questions have been raised over the arrangements of the Dhubri Ashokastami Mela.

Question has been raised whether the district administration would be able to control the huge gathering and compel the devotees to maintain the Covid19 protocols.

More than 5,000 people tested positive at Kumbh Mela.

Mukesh Kr Singh is Northeast Now Correspondent in Dhubri. He can be reached at: [email protected]