Major curbs were announced on Wednesday on the occasion of ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’, which falls on August 22, in view of the raging Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the guidelines issued by Vinit Nandanwar, Additional Collector and Additional District Magistrate, the idol's height and width should not exceed 4x4 feet. The sides of ‘pandal’ should be 15x15 feet.
Around 5,000 square feet of open space should exist in front of the ‘pandal’ and there can be no seating arrangement for devotees or organizers, an official statement said.
At any point, there should not be more than 20 persons in the 'pandal' and names and telephone numbers of all those offering prayers should be recorded.
The committee has to install four CCTVs so that if a person is found Covid positive, he can be traced. Wearing a mask is mandatory. The organizers have to ensure sanitizer, thermal screener, oxy-meter and arrangements for hand wash.
As part of queue management, barricading has to be done to ensure physical distancing. No idol can be installed in containment zones. If a containment zone is declared during the event, then all events have to end. Public feeding, cultural events and other public programmes are barred.
Musical bands or vehicles cannot accompany immersions. Decorations are a no-no. Only four persons can go with the idol for immersion.
If an idol is installed outside a house, seven-day prior permission from the Municipal Corporation has to be taken. Idols can be established in houses on the condition that immersion will not be done after sunset or before sunrise. Violation will invite legal action, the guidelines said.