The Mumbai’s civic body BMC and the Maharashtra government have appealed to the public to celebrate the Ganeshotsav festival in a simple manner in view of the Covid-19 situation in the state. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced fresh Covid-19 restrictions for the celebrations beginning from Friday in Mumbai.
“It is necessary to celebrate Ganeshotsav only by protecting oneself and one’s family from this scourge. For this, the following restrictions should be observed during this year’s (2021) Ganeshotsav, an appeal is being made by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for the safety of devotees, according to the statement a notice issued by the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation.
Can Devotees Visit Public Pandals?
No, the BMC has banned physical darshan for devotees at public pandals as well as imposed restrictions on the number of participants in processions during the celebrations.
Only online darshan or telecast from pandals would be allowed, said the state home department. Earlier, it had said in a circular that social distancing should be followed strictly inside the pandals during the Ganesh festival.
The new circular said that (people) are prohibited from visiting any Ganesh pandal.” Organizers should instead provide the facility of online `darshan’ or telecast for the benefit of devotees, it said.The decision has been taken to discourage people from venturing out and exposing themselves to the viral infection, said an official.
“Considering the potential danger of a third COVID-19 wave, devotees are strictly forbidden from taking darshan. It has been decided that Ganeshotsav mandals should provide darshan facility to devotees through cable network, website, Facebook or (other) social media,” the civic body said.
How Many People Can Participate in the processions?
For bringing the idols of the deity and during their immersion, there will not be more than 10 people in the processions of public mandals and not more than five for the household Ganpatis, the BMC said in the guidelines issued on Tuesday. “All devotees should wear masks and observe social distancing. Also, the 10 participants should have taken both the doses of COVID-19 vaccine and completed 15 days after taking the second dose,” the guidelines said.
Immersion of Ganpati idols
The mandals falling in COVID-19 containment zones will have to make arrangements for the immersion of the Ganpati idols in the pandal premises or postpone it. Similarly, in sealed buildings, devotees will have to make arrangements for the immersion of idols at home, it said. If a house/building is declared a containment zone, the rules for it should be followed during the festival, the BMC said. The civic body has already restricted the height of household Ganpati idols to two feet and for the public mandals to four feet. The cap on the height of Ganpati idols and restrictions on celebrations have been imposed for the second year in a row to curb the spread of the COVID-19 .
Celebrations in Covid containment Zones
The mandals falling in Covid-19 containment zones will have to immerse the Ganpati idols in the mandal premises or postpone it, the BMC said. If a house or building is declared a containment zone, its occupants should adhere to the rules during the festival, it added. In sealed buildings, devotees will have to make arrangements for the immersion of idols at home, it said.
Other Restrictions
The civic body also appealed to people to avoid any action that may lead to the spread of the pandemic and said in case of any violation of rules, strict action would be taken under provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act.
The BMC also urged citizens to immerse their idols in 167 artificial ponds, which will be set up at various locations in the city for the 10-day festival. “Devotees living one or two km away from the beaches can immerse their idols in the sea. However, others who live far away should preferably immerse their idols at home or in artificial ponds,” the civic body appealed in the release.
Mumbai reported 353 new COVID-19 cases and two fresh fatalities on Tuesday, which took the infection tally to 7,47,078 and the death toll to 16,000, as per official data. The number of sealed buildings increased to 49 from 44 on Monday, an official said. The civic body seals buildings or declares containment zones if at least five persons there test positive for the coronavirus infection.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Assembly Elections Live Updates here.
Comments
0 comment