Kanwars must not be higher than 13 feet: Uttarakhand issues safety advisory for annual pilgrimage

The Uttarakhand Police has begun turning back Kanwars exceeding the prescribed height limit of 13 feet at multiple entry points along the Uttar Pradesh border during the ongoing Shravan Kanwar Mela, officials said. Authorities had announced before the annual pilgrimage began on July 30 that Kanwars taller than 13 feet would not be permitted to enter the state. Security personnel, assisted by central paramilitary forces, have been deployed at border checkpoints to ensure strict enforcement of the directive.

According to the administration, teams stationed at the state's borders are inspecting vehicle-borne Kanwars to ensure they comply with the prescribed safety norms. Senior Superintendent of Police Navneet Singh Bhullar said the administration would not allow oversized decorated Kanwars into Uttarakhand.

"We are quite clear in this regard that decorated Kanwars should remain within the permissible height limits of 13 feet. The restrictions are necessary for the safety of both Kanwariyas and passers-by and also for the proper management of traffic and the pilgrimage. On Sunday, 12 vehicle-borne Kanwars that were above the permissible height were sent back from the Narsan border," Bhullar said.

The move comes as thousands of devotees continue to arrive in Uttarakhand during the annual Kanwar Yatra, one of north India's largest religious pilgrimages.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand Police has registered a case against officials associated with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) over alleged negligence, a day after two Kanwariyas were killed when iron girders collapsed on them beneath an under-construction flyover in Haridwar.

The police said the action followed the fatal incident, which raised concerns over safety

arrangements along the pilgrimage route.