Varanasi admn imposes restrictions on entry to ghats; parks to be closed at 4pm

VARANASI To check the spread of Covid, the district administration has imposed restrictions on people’s entry to ghats in Varanasi between 4pm and 6am while all public parks within the limits of the nagar nigam will be closed at 4pm every day

VARANASI To check the spread of Covid, the district administration has imposed restrictions on people’s entry to ghats in Varanasi between 4pm and 6am while all public parks within the limits of the nagar nigam will be closed at 4pm every day.

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“The general public’s visit to all the ghats of Varanasi is prohibited after 4pm and before 6am (from 4pm to 6am),” said Kaushal Raj Sharma, district magistrate.

“Only priests (minimum numbers), Ganga arti organisers, members of families living in houses along the ghats, boatmen and tourists taking a boat ride will be exempted from this restriction,” he said.

Sharma said people who perform last rites and those associated with it will also be free from this prohibition. “Tourists who use boats will only use the ghat to board the boat and disembark from it. They will not stop at the ghat,” he added.

The DM said all parks, stadiums within the limits of VNN, Varanasi Development Authority and the sports department will be closed at 4pm. Public entry is prohibited between 4pm and 6am.

Night curfew is already in force from 9pm to 6am. Therefore, entry of public into religious places is prohibited from 9pm to 6am, added the DM.

Everyone should wear a mask and follow social distancing norms in public and comply with other provisions of the Pandemic Act. Violation of norms will incur action and financial penalty.

The DM said only 50 people may gather at a time in religious places and social events with the mandatory availability of mask, thermal scanner and sanitiser.

Open spaces like grounds can operate at 50% capacity. A maximum of 100 people may gather with mandatory availability of masks, thermal scanner and sanitiser.

According to a senior official of the health department, Covid cases increased at an alarming rate in the district in the last 12 days. As a result, the number of active cases swelled to 7,508 on April 12 from 457 on March 31.

In wake of fresh guidelines, people have made adjustments in their routine.

There were many people who regularly took a holy dip in Ganga at 4am daily and do darshan of Baba Kashi Vishwanath thereafter. They used to leave their home around 3.45am. But now they leave their home at 6am to follow their daily routine.

Likewise, many tea stalls, which used to open at 5 am now open at 6am.

Mahesh Yadav, a tea stall owner near Dashashwamedh Ghat, said he starts preparing tea at 6am.

On Saturday, Kashi Vishwanath Temple administration put a ban on entry of devotees to the sanctum santorum of the temple and also rescheduled Darshan timings due to the rise in Covid cases. Now, the devotees will be able to do darshan from 6am to 9pm.

“The decision was taken in view of continuous rise in the number of Covid cases,” said Sunil Verma, chief executive officer of the temple.