PANAJI: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) on Monday issued guidelines for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and to avoid pollution.
It is, however, permitting the traditional fair on the D B Marg and the matoli bazaar at a designated area near Royal Foods.
The corporation has “strictly prohibited” the sale and purchase of plaster of Paris idols due to damage caused to the environment and is permitting two from a family to pick up idols from ‘chitrashallas’, and two to three from a household for immersion during the permitted time from 5pm to 10pm.
Ganesh committees have been advised against using firecrackers and fireworks to avoid pollution. CCP mayor Rohit Monserrate said flowers and garlands should be deposited in containers and placed at each immersion site and not be disposed of in water bodies.
He added that processions will not be allowed while bringing idols to the immersion point.
No special stalls will be erected anywhere in Panaji for sale of firecrackers and fireworks except those permitted by the corporation.
When asked how the corporation would enforce all the guidelines, Monserrate said it is up to police who will have to start imposing fines on defaulters.
He added that the corporation will have a separate meeting with the police department on this matter.
“People should act responsibly. We don’t want to be stuck in such a situation where cases spike and people are admitted to hospitals. Due to this we are encouraging everyone to be safe during the festival,” he said.
The traditional fair on the promenade along the Mandovi from the ferry point till the forest department will be held from September 7 till September 10 with social distancing, while the matoli items will be sold near Royal Foods, corporator Pranay Mainkar said.
“The traditional fair will have only traditional items like furniture, utensils and matoli items. Clothing and food stalls will not be permitted,” Mainkar said.
The corporation will be allotting around 200 stalls for the fair. The forms with a fee of Rs 500 each are being given on a first come first serve basis and spaces are being allotted at Rs 100 per sqm per day, with a standard size of 4 by 2sqm. For the matoli bazaar the rate per day is Rs 60 per sqm.
Mainkar said the forms will be scrutinised, but Monserrate said vendors will be allotted spaces on a first come first serve basis to avoid issues that cropped up at the fair in the past.
“We have set numbers and will allot them to whoever comes first. We will not sit and decide who gets it and who doesn’t. There were a lot of issues last year, which should not happen again. The system is transparent,” he said.
Panaji mayor hits out at Madkaikar
CCP mayor Rohit Monserrate on Monday hit out at former mayor and corporator Uday Madkaikar for his statement that the city was lagging behind in development. Monserrate said Madkaikar should have raised the issue when he was mayor. He alleged that the mayor’s office during Madkaikar’s tenure didn’t put forward a single application to the director of municipal administration as a result of which Rs 10 crore funds were lost. The money could have been used for the public, for playgrounds, footpaths or areas for seniors to relax, he said.
