BMC Issue Fresh Guidelines and Covid Protocols Ahead of Navratri Celebrations

New guidelines from BMC…Get the details

Friday, 1st October 2021

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday has released a fresh set of standard operating procedures before the upcoming festivities around Navratri. Citizens have been strongly advised to maintain low key and celebrate this year in a simple manner. The guidelines were issued amid growing fears of a surge in COVID-19 as well as dengue cases.

The civic body is encouraging people to have more and more online ‘darshans’ while physical ‘darshans’ will be allowed only in tandem with the adherence of stringent Covid-19 protocols.

The norms issued this time are very similar to the ones that were released during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival that was celebrated some time ago this year. The number of people visiting pandals and attending processions will be restricted.

Here is a list of do’s and don’ts in the guidelines.

• Garba is not allowed this year
• No Prasad and flowers are to be distributed
• Number of stalls that will be allowed will be limited
• No more than 5 people will be allowed inside the pandals at a time. More people are being encouraged to do darshans online
• People visiting pandals physically will undergo temperature checks
• The main area of the pandal where maximum footfall is expected will be sanitized thrice each day
• All public mandals will have to take prior permission of the BMC
• To cut down on crowd formations and huge processions, the circular has stated that people should try and bring environment friendly or shadu idols that can be immersed in their houses
• The height of the idols in public mandals cannot be more than 4 feet while those in individual homes cannot cross 2 feet
• Mandals are to hold blood donation camps in order to spread awareness about diseases like malaria and dengue
• During religious rituals also, no crowd formation will be allowed near the mandals
• Noise pollution is to be controlled

The city of Mumbai on Wednesday logged 527 fresh cases of Covid-19 along with 6 fatalities. With these figures, the total numbers of Covid cases rose to 7,42,538 while the death toll is at 16,103.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source- Timesofindia Indiatimes