India News | Odisha Prohibits Chhath Puja Celebrations

Bhubaneswar, Nov 16 (PTI) The Odisha government has prohibited mass celebration of Chhath Puja on Friday and Saturday, including bathing at river banks, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an order issued by Chief Secretary A K Tripathy on Monday, the state government said since a large number of people congregate near the river banks in keeping with the rituals, celebration of the festival has huge potential for spread of COVID-19 infections.

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"People are advised to perform other rituals in their respective houses, avoiding mass gatherings and adhering to the COVID-19 safety protocols such as physical distancing, mask wearing and hand washing," it said.

Persons found violating the order will be punished under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and other relevant laws, the order added.

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)