Patna: In view of the sudden explosion of Covid-19 case, Patna district administration has banned the organization of exhibitions or cultural events on the occasion of Makar Sankranti Saturday.
A decision in this regard was taken by the Patna district magistrate (DM) Chandrashekhar Singh and SSP M S Dhillon in virtual meetings with the district office, SDPOs, and BDOs on Friday.
They asked the officials to strictly enforce security protocols Covid and NDRF and SDRF deploy sufficient personnel at the Ganga Ghats in case of emergency.
DM stated, “While taking a dip in the Ganga will not be banned, an advisory has been issued urging people to shower in their home rather than crowding the ghats.” Meanwhile, a large number of people, mostly women, stormed the city market to buy a variety of items such as ’tilkut’, ‘gajak’, ‘Chura’, buttermilk, and ‘gur’ on Friday.
According to sources, Makar Sankranti, which is dedicated to the Sun God, marks the beginning of a new harvest festival.
A shopkeeper in Gola Road told reporters that the customer rush hardly diminished by Covid fear.
Sneha Pandey, a resident Ramnagri, stating that they follow the tradition rooted started the day with a holy bath in the Ganga or other rivers, but because of the pandemic, it is safe to shower at home before eating ‘side-Chura’.
Meanwhile, the Bihar State Co-Operative Dairy Federation Limited made arrangements for 34 lakh liters of milk, curd 7.5 lakh kg, 10,000 kg of ’tilkuts’, and 20,000 kg of ‘paneer’ in front of Makar Sankranti.