Haridwar: Jal Police, SDRF teams deploy to rescue kanwariyas from drowning

Amid the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, Jal Police and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) teams have been deployed to rescue kanwariyas from drowning near River Ganga in Haridwar, police officials said.

So far six kanwariyas have been rescued by the teams.

"We have marked points where teams of 'Jal Police' and SDRF have been deployed to monitor 'kanwariyas'. So far six 'kanwariyas' have been rescued. We have also put up caution boards," Haridwar SP Janmejay Khanduri said.

The Kanwar Yatra began on the occasion of Shravan Purnima on July 17 and will continue till August 15. Keeping in view the safety of children and for maintaining law and order, Uttarakhand government had announced that all the educational institutions, including schools and colleges in the district, would remain closed from July 23 to July 30.

The order was issued keeping in view the increasing number of devotees visiting Haridwar and the possibility of the closure of the roads for the movement.

The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage of Lord Shiva's devotees. The Kanwariyas (pilgrims) visit Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch holy waters of River Ganga. Later, the holy water is used to dispense as offerings to Lord Siva.