West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the guidelines for the upcoming Durga Puja festival on Thursday amid the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
According to the guidelines, the pandal should be open from all four sides for proper ventilation. Hand sanitizers must be placed at the entry points of the pandals, and the use of masks will be mandatory.
“This year the Durga Puja Carnival will not be organized,” announced the prime minister.
“You need to maintain physical detachment,” Banerjee said.
Cultural programs within the pandals are also not allowed in this year’s celebration.
Durga Puja committees to get Rs 50,000 each as a grant from the state government. 80,000 street vendors will receive a one-time grant of Rs 2,000 before Durga Puja, ”Banerjee also announced.
Durga Puja is widely celebrated in India, but especially in West Bengal, it is one of the most important festivals. The week-long festivities will begin on October 22.
India, meanwhile, recorded 86,508 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total count to 57,32,518. The number of recoveries reached 46,74,987 while deaths surpassed the 90,000 mark to reach 91,149.
In West Bengal, there are 2.34,673 people infected with the deadly virus as of Wednesday, according to figures released by the state health department. The number of fatalities stood at 4,544.
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