Guwahati: Tripura government issued detailed guidelines with a set of restrictions to prevent mass gatherings and ensure that people do not get infected during the celebration of the Durga Puja festival across the state.
The Additional Secretary of the Revenue department, AK Bhattacharya issued a detailed guideline which informed that it is mandatory for all clubs, puja committees, households and puja organizers to take prior permission from district administration, police administration and other concerned departments for arranging puja celebration.
The guidelines in the order copy informed “The State Executive Committee, Tripura Disaster Management Authority, in the exercise of the powers, conferred under Section 24 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, hereby directs all Clubs/Puja Committees/Household Puja Organizers and other stakeholders to follow the guidelines given in Annexure-1 during Durga puja and other puja celebrations in Tripura during October to December 2021. Non-compliance of the guidelines shall attract action as per law”.
The clubs have been instructed to avoid narrow entry-exit systems and obstructions for movement for the puja pandals and marquees should be designed in such a way that the idol is clearly visible from a distance.
Only five to 10 visitors will be allowed at a time in front of the puja pandal maintaining a physical distance.
The organizing committees should arrange sufficient masks to distribute, keep hand sanitizers, hand washes for all visitors at entry points as well as common areas. All the puja pandals should be sanitized at least three times every day. The bamboo, rope, etc used for regulating crowds may particularly be sanitized on a regular interval. There should be an arrangement of thermal screening of visitors in all Puja Mandaps / Pandals.
Sufficient places for visitors in front of the pandals should be arranged by the organizers. Required number of volunteers should be kept ready for maintaining a physical distance of the visitors in coordination with security personnel. Volunteers should ensure that only a limited number of visitors is allowed entry at a time to maintain social distancing among others.
There will be a night curfew during the puja period. The timings of the curfew will be decided after discussion with the organizers.
A nine-point guideline has also been issued by the Tripura government with instruction for immersion of idols which includes the procedure and protocol for the clubs and organizers.
The clubs would be allowed to use a minimum number of vehicles for idol immersion and a maximum of 30 persons would be allowed for attending the immersion, while the police and civil administration have been asked to ensure that no mass gathering is witnessed on the roadside during the procession with idols. (PTI)