Lakes, ponds, riverbeds and other public water bodies will be out of bounds for devotees during Chhath, the two-day festival scheduled to begin on November 20, the state disaster management department said in a communiqué issued around Sunday midnight.
Signed by state chief secretary Sukhdev Singh, the order reads, “Since it will not be possible to maintain the national order of ‘do gaz ki doori (two-feet social distancing)’ while performing Chhath puja in the waters of river/pond/lakes/rivers/dams/reservoirs/any other public water bodies, it is, therefore, not permitted to be held so as to minimise the chances of the spread of the coronavirus infection.”
The directive also banned any kind of stalls to be set up near water bodies and prohibited individuals from earmarking space near water bodies, putting up lights or making other special arrangements. The curbs on bursting of crackers in public places during the Chhath festival or the conduct of entertainment and cultural programmes would continue to be in force.
“The order was issued after lots of deliberations to balance culture and precautions during the pandemic. Finally, everyone was of the view that Chhath should also be a private affair like other festivals to tackle the pandemic,” said an official of the state IPRD department. All districts, civic bodies and other stakeholders have been directed to ensure total compliance ahead of the festival celebrated widely across Bihar and Jharkhand.
This year, Chhath is scheduled to be held on November 20 and 21 when devotees offer arghya (prayer) to the sun God at dusk and dawn. Lakhs of devotees turn up at water bodies for a holy dip and prayers. But amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, allowing such religious congregations could well prove risky, and may aid the spread of the virus.
Notably, on Friday, Ranchi mayor Asha Lakra met with the chief secretary to demand urgent issuance of directives for the upcoming festival to end ambiguity and uncertainty among officials and devotees at large.
The state had also imposed several curbs during Durga puja and Diwali. While the outcome of the Diwali curbs is yet unknown, the state government seems to have largely succeeded in containing the spread of infection after Durga Puja which was held during the end of October.
Recoveries of Covid-19 cases continue to outnumber fresh infections. As per Sunday night’s bulletin, total active cases have come down below the 3,000-mark. There are 2,952 people under treatment for coronavirus infection. State reported 129 new cases, 291 recoveries and two deaths in the last 24 hours. As per official data, Jharkhand has recorded 1,06,064 Covid cases in all. Of these, 1,02,188 have recovered working out to a recovery rate of 96.34 per cent.
