Odisha govt bans Chhath puja rituals in public places

Bhubaneswar, Nov 16 (IANS) The Odisha government on Monday prohibited Chhath puja celebrations at public places, including bathing on river banks, on November 20 and 21 since large congregations could lead to further spread of Covid-19 infections.Any person found violating the order would be punished under the Disaster Management Act of 2005 and other relevant laws, the government warned.A notification issued by Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) on Monday advised people to perform religious rituals at home and avoid mass gatherings and following health safety protocols like social distance, wearing of face masks and use of sanitisers.Earlier, the government had imposed curbs on mass gatherings on festivals like Dussehra, Luxmi puja and Diwali.A report from Ranchi earlier in the day said that the Jharkhand government too has banned Chhath puja festivities in public places due to fear of coronavirus pandemic.
--IANS cd/tsb