Durga Puja pandals in WB to be no-entry zones for visitors: Calcutta High Court

In view of the COVID-19 situation in the state and to contain the spread of the virus, the Calcutta High Court on Monday said Durga Puja pandals would be no-entry zones for the visitors.

The court also ordered that people would not be allowed within a five-metre distance for small pandals and 10 metre for big pandals. The HC also asked each puja committee to submit a blueprint on crowd management

Only the organisers can enter the pandal and for that names have to be put up outside the pandals beforehand. Only those people would be allowed to enter whose names will be mentioned outside the pandal.

Maximum 25 members are allowed in the pandal premises and the number of visitors is to be fixed, which will remain the same during the Durga puja celeberations. The court's order will apply to all 34,000 registered Durga Puja pandals in the state.

Last week, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had urged Durga Puja Committees not to allow people without masks in pandal during Puja celebrations.

Addressing a press conference here Banerjee had said, "I request Durga Puja Committees to not allow people without masks in pandals. They should be kept in a separate zone. If puja committees can give masks then it's fine, but we can't expect everyone to do the same."

This year, Durga Puja be celebrated from October 23 to October 26. As the festive week of Navratri kicks off, devotees are looking forward to celebrate Durga Puja across India.

(ANI)