ISLAMABAD, May 01 (APP):A local government in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) is all set to invite Covid 19 disaster with its decision to go for makeshift shelters and facilities for about 600,000 Hindu devotees, intending the annual Amarnath yatra.
The threats of yet another human disaster in IIOJK was looming largely as the large gatherings under covid 19 situation would unleash irreversible consequences for the population already bracing occupation forces’ continuing atrocities and aggression.
The congregation of devotees during the pandemic set the alarm bells ringing among the health experts who believed that Amarnath yatra could unleash disaster in IIOJK.
The apocalyptic situation in India is already out of control as the country recorded about 400,000 new coronavirus positive cases in a single day on Saturday.
Despite stark warnings, the Indian government did not impose major restrictions to contain the spread of the virus in the country.
Millions of people largely unmasked attended the religious gatherings and election rallies that were led by Narendra Modi, leaders of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition politicians.
The health experts blamed these mass religious gatherings and political rallies for the severity of second wave, which took heavy tall on a large chunk of population.
According to official data, India’s daily case count had topped 400,000 cases and the deaths from Covid-19 jumped by 3,523 over the past 24 hours, taking the total toll in India to 211,853.
Similarly, the large scale gathering in IIOJK could prove as “fatal super spreader” given the ill-equipped healthcare system in the region.
According to available statistics, IIOJK had meager healthcare facilities, with just 2,599 Covid beds, including 324 ICU beds for a population of 13 million. Out of these, 1,220 beds had already been occupied.
It could prove fatal both to pilgrims as well as locals, because oxygen levels dropped at higher altitudes, providing coronavirus ideal environment to attack respiratory system in humans.
Sheikh Ghulam Rasool, a prominent social worker, said that it could prove as a super spreading event and would overwhelm the poor healthcare system.
He demanded immediate calling off the upcoming Hindu pilgrimage.
Anoop Nautiyal, founder of development for communities foundation in Uttarankhand, said any congregation at this point was a cause of concern for all.
What is more worrying that the health advisory issued for the Amarnath pilgrimage did not mention the prevailing grim situation and observance of strict guidelines to contain virus spread.
