With a surge in COVID cases in Uttarakhand, a ban has been imposed on devotees taking a dip in the Ganga in Haridwar and Rishikesh on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on January 14.

There will be a ban on devotees gathering at Har ki Pairi in Haridwar, Triveni ghat in Rishikesh, and other ghats for a ritual bath on Makar Sankranti for their safety in view of the recent spike in pandemic cases in the state, orders issued by Haridwar District Magistrate Vinay Shankar Pandey and Dehradun District Magistrate R Rajesh Kumar said.

A large number of devotees take a holy dip in the Ganga both in Haridwar and Rishikesh on the occasion of Makar Sankranti every year.

COVID cases in Uttarakhand have been on the rise over the past few days.

A total of 2,127 COVID positive cases were reported on Tuesday and 1,292 on Monday.