Guwahati: With Durga Puja just around the corner amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the district administration of Cachar district on Friday issued strict set of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission during the festival.
The SOPs have been laid down “considering the seriousness of and reality of the pandemic situation”.
Places where Durga Puja will be allowed:
- Idol Puja celebration will only be allowed in places where the puja committee has permanent concrete mandir or mandap. Temporary constructed puja pandals will not be allowed.
- Puja committees are allowed to open the mandaps/mandir at 5 am and are requested to shut down (with barricades) by 10 pm starting from Panchami to Navami.
Idols preparation and size:
- Durga idols will only be allowed upto a size of 5 feet. Idols beyond this height will not be permitted.
- Durga puja idol should altogether (5 deities) be in a single frame (Ek-katham) and not in separate form.
- For carrying of idols for puja only a group of five persons will be allowed following all COVID protocols.
As per notification, no immersion or procession will be allowed. Moreover, the gatherings in the ghats shall also not be allowed.
To avoid crowds, an extended Visarjan process will be adopted. Each puja committee will also be informed about the time of Visarjan by the district administration.
The government notice also states that the movement of two-wheelers will be restricted during this period. Moreover, no cultural events in connection with the puja will be allowed.
Vendors, tea stalls, and any other temporary establishment shall not be allowed in Cachar during Durga Puja 2020.
Meanwhile, police and volunteers have been asked to keep a close watch on “suspicious persons” during the puja. Additionally, the DC has also urged the police and volunteers to keep a lookout for communally provocative content in social media.
Cachar police took twitter to announce these guidelines.
Disclaimer: This is a syndicated post and published without any changes except for the headlines
