Devotees flout Covid norms during Chaitra Navratri festival

Praygraj: Hundreds of Hindu devotees gathered on the banks of the river Ganges in Prayagraj to mark the first day of 'Chaitra Navratri' festival, with many flouting social distancing norms. The nine-day festival comes during India's worst surge in new COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began. India reported 1,61,736 new cases and 1,027 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry.