Chhath Puja procession barred

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed that no procession should be taken out during Chhath Puja in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. Chhath Puja revelers should come to the water bodies on vehicles (tempo/lorry) and perform the rituals.

A division bench comprising Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Arijit Banerjee, during the hearing of a public interest litigations filed by petitioners Ajay Kumar De,

Anusuya Bhattacharya and a trust and representative of doctors, to fix guidelines and ban on all forms of crackers on Kali Puja, Diwali and Chhath Puja, said that only one or

two family members wearing mask and maintaining COVID-19 protocol should come to the water body and perform the

rituals.

There should be miking and campaigns to spread awareness in different areas.

"The division bench had also said that there will be music or crowd at all at the bathing ghat," said Sabysachi Chatterjee, lawyer of the petitioner De.

In September, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) rejected the plea of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), the custodian of Rabindra Sarobar for

granting permission for Chhath Puja in the Sarobar this year.

The green bench upheld

its previous order banning any such ritual there to save the environment and plethora of biodiversity in the

Sarobar.

However, KMDA had moved the Supreme Court for reviewing the NGT order. The apex court will hear the plea on November 16.

Referring to KMDA's plea to Supreme Court, the Calcutta High Court pointed out that if the apex court did not give any order then NGT's order

will be implemented.

Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar will be out of bound for Chathh Puja.

Mani Prasad Singh, President of Rashtriya Bihari

Samaj welcomed the High Court's direction on firecrackers and said that they are ready to

abide while performing Chhath Puja at Rabindra Sarobar.

"We welcome the order but I also appeal to the High

Court that it should increase the number of people going to the water body for bathing from two to three," pointed out Singh.