HYDERABAD: In the backdrop of the Covid crisis, big arrangements are being made to hold the hugely popular tribal festival ‘Medaram Jathara’ in Mulugu district from February 16-19 in a safe manner. Lakhs are expected to participate in the ‘Sammakka Sarakka Jathara’ not only from Telangana but also neighbouring states.
Tribal welfare minister Sathyavathi Rathod, who inspected the arrangements on Monday, said the prime focus would be on sanitation and health as the festival congregation is one of the biggest in the country. Masks, sanitisers, Covid tests, vaccine centres and isolation facilities will be provided. Fogging operations will be undertaken twice a day.
A high-level committee comprising three ministers, chief secretary, DGP and public representatives will hold a meeting to take stock of the arrangements.
Though the main festival from February 16-19 is still weeks away, lakhs have been making a beeline to Medaram for the last two weeks.
For the main festival, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has sanctioned Rs 75 crore for facilities.
Showers and changing rooms are being set up at Jampanna vagu. About Rs 13 crore is being spent on laying cement concrete roads and work is likely to be completed by the month end.
The tribal welfare department has constructed Sulabh toilets at a cost of Rs 6 crore. The panchayat raj department was given a budget of Rs 4 crore and out of this Rs 3.5 crore has been utilised for various work and Rs 50 lakh will be spent on the R&B guest house. The endowments department has also constructed a guest house at Rs 10 crore.
As of now, five sheds and 100 toilets are ready. Three community kitchen sheds will also be constructed. About Rs 30 lakh is being spent to build an overhead water tank.
