Educational institutions in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut and Ghaziabad districts will remain closed till August 12 in view of the heavy movement of Kanwar pilgrims during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, officials said on Monday. In Meerut, all schools, colleges, universities and technical institutions remained closed from Monday following an order issued by District Magistrate V K Singh. The administration said the decision was taken to ensure students’ safety and facilitate traffic management as large numbers of Kanwar yatris pass through the district during the Shravan Shivratri period. The Kanwar Yatra is an annual Hindu pilgrimage during the holy month of Shravan in which devotees of Lord Shiva carry holy Ganga water, usually collected from Haridwar and other sacred ghats, to offer it at Shiva temples after travelling on foot.