1cr devotees expected to take holy dip in Ganga today

Prayagraj: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, authorities in Uttar Pradesh expect one crore devotees to take a holy dip in the Ganga and the Sangam here on Mauni Amavasya Monday.

Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, who reviewed the preparation for the event, said Mauni Amavasya is a very important festival of Magh Mela and people from across the country come here to take a holy dip in the river.

"Tomorrow one crore people are expected to take bath," Mishra said, adding he was satisfied with the arrangements made there for devotees. The chief secretary said he himself took a bath on Sunday in the Ganga and found that the river flow and the water is "good". As far as the coronavirus pandemic is concerned, the cases are coming down in the state, he said.

"The rate of infection in the state has come down from 20 per cent to 4 percent. As of today, the first dose of vaccine has been given to 99.5 percent of the people in the State while 69 percent of the people have been given the second dose too," he said. He also said that 65 per cent of the children in the age group of 15 to 17 years have also been vaccinated with the first dose. "During my visit here, whoever I asked about the coronavirus vaccine, they told me that have taken both the doses," he said.