The Karnataka government on Sunday decided to allow Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in districts where the positivity rate is less than 2 per cent , with a set of restrictions, which will remain in place for five days.
“The (Karnataka) government is allowing the (Ganesh Chathurthi) festival but many restrictions are there. There will be no procession orchestra, no DJ and pandals must be 50/50 (meaning??) and Covid vaccination is compulsory wherever the Ganapathy festival is being held,” R Ashok, Karnataka’s revenue minister said on Sunday.
The decision was taken after an hour-long meeting chaired by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, members of the experts committee, cabinet members and other officials in Bengaluru on Sunday.
The move to allow public celebration of Ganesh Chathurthi comes at a time when Karnataka’s new Covid-19 infections appear to have stabilized but the threat of the virus remains just as potent as the first two waves.
Though the Bommai-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has retained a significant number of restrictions like night and weekend curfew in different parts of the state, the decision was also taken after a number of members from the saffron outfit insisted that permission be given to celebrate a “Hindu festival”.
Ashok said that the government has approved to allow one Ganesh festival per ward in urban areas and that district authorities would decide on similar requests in rural regions.
{{/usCountry}}Ashok said that the government has approved to allow one Ganesh festival per ward in urban areas and that district authorities would decide on similar requests in rural regions.
{{/usCountry}}However, the minister was not clear on how the government or authorities will decide who will be allowed to keep the idol in public spaces.
In Karnataka, like other states, Ganesh Chathurthi is celebrated with much pomp and fervour with public processions, dance, cultural programmes which attracts large crowds of worshippers and others.
The festival also sees competition by local groups, backed by political leaders, to celebrate the day as a spectacle of sorts with new designs of the deity that is placed in pandals by collecting money from the public and small establishments in these localities.
“The police, local authorities and MLA will not compromise. Because Covid is also very important,” Ashok said.
The minister also said that in border districts where the positivity rate is higher than 2%, the festival cannot be celebrated in public.
Ashok said that the decision was taken after consulting the experts as well.
The minister said that all committee members incharge of public installation of these idols will have to be vaccinated.
The government has also decided to set up vaccination centres at such places where the idol will be kept and doses will be administered.
In apartment complexes, no more than 20 persons will be allowed and several such residential spaces have come up with innovative ways like online darshan to avoid people gathering in small spaces, Ashok said.
Despite the restrictions being imposed on the common man, political leaders continue to flout Covid norms during events like campaigning and other programmes that witnessed huge crowds with no masks nor maintaining social distancing and taking other precautions.
There are 17,501 active Covid-19 cases in Karnataka after 1,117 more people tested positive, the state health department said in its daily bulletin on Sunday. The bulletin also added that 1,354 more recovered and the death toll rose to 37409 as eight more people succumbed to the virus. The positivity and case fatality rate both stood at 0.71%, data shows.
Bengaluru’s active case count rose to 7,205 as 358 more tested positive. There were 530 more recoveries and the death toll rose to 16,024 as five more people died in India’s IT capital.
Ashok said that experts predict that a third wave of infections in Karnataka is expected around October and that the next two months is crucial.