Section 144 was imposed by the Mumbai Police on Thursday in the city. It will last from September 10 to 19 to curb the public celebrations in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Ganesh Chaturthi festivities are set to begin from Friday, devotees across the country will celebrate the ten-day festival amid COVID-19 restrictions and protocols.
Just like last year, even this year the ongoing pandemic has put a halt to large-scale celebrations in many parts of the country. In Mumbai, the police on Thursday imposed Section 144 in the city from September 10 to 19 to curb the public celebrations in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“No processions of Ganpati will be allowed and more than five persons can’t gather at a place,” said the Mumbai Commissioner’s office. Devotees in the city will have to take the darshan of Lord Ganesha online and they cannot visit mandaps across the city.
“This year in Pune, all Ganesh mandals will do the immersion at their pandals and people can use ‘mobile visarjan’ (immersion) vans for the immersion of idols,” said Ravindra Shisve, Joint Commissioner, Pune City Police on Thursday.
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In Andhra Pradesh, the state government has decided not to allow Ganesh pandals and immersion processions this year due to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Telangana High Court directed the state government not to allow idols of Lord Ganesh, made from plaster of Paris, to be immersed in Hussainsagar lake in Hyderabad. The court has also asked the state government to construct special rubber dams for the immersion of eco-friendly idols.
After the order came, the markets in Hyderabad witnessed an increased demand for eco-friendly Ganesh idols.
The Karnataka government also released the guidelines for Ganesh Chaturthi last week which allowed the celebrations only in districts where the Covid positivity rate is less than 2 per cent.
It further said, “Only eco-friendly Ganapati idols are allowed. Not more than 4 feet tall Ganesha idol should be installed anywhere in the state. Not more than 2 feet tall Ganesha idol allowed to be installed inside homes. No processions are allowed. Immersion is only allowed in mobile immersion tanks, tubs.”
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