Assam Govt Releases SOP for Raas, Chhath Puja Celebration

GUWAHATI: The Assam Disaster Management Authority has issued guidelines for the Rass festival and Chhath Puja to be celebrated in November.

All the places and routes leading to the celebration of sites/ghats and river banks etc. should be identified, sanitized and checked. The puja committees should be directed to engage volunteers at the site of celebrations and necessary guidelines to the volunteers may be given with Dos and Don'ts.

Only five persons per family are allowed at a time in the puja ghats to maintain social distancing and other protocols of COVID-19. The puja committees will ensure that only the religious rituals will be observed.

There shall be no Meta/cultural events in connection with the celebration of puja.

The puja committees will not allow any vendor, temporary tea stall/chat house etc. in the vicinity of the puja pandal.

All visitors to the Puja location shall be subjected to thermal scanning by Puja organizers and no person with any symptom related to COVID-19 shall be allowed to enter the Puja pandals.

Strict compliance of social distancing, wearing masks, etc. is to be maintained.

All organizers and volunteers must be at least vaccinated with one dose of vaccine and preferably with two doses of vaccination.

In case any person/visitor to Puja pandal is suspected to be symptomatic with COVID-19, it will be the responsibility of the Puja organizers to inform the nearest Government medical facility and arrange for the shifting of such persons to the nearest COVID treatment centre

A. Meeting/gathering at any open or closed Paces are Permitted with the following conditions

a) In case of open spaces, unidirectional ODMAs shad fix the limit of gatherings depending on Covid situation in their respective districts

b) In closed venues gathering is allowed upto 50% of the seating capacity of hall auditorium etc

B. Guidelines for observing Chath Puja al All the pIa.s and routes leading to the celebration of sites/ghats and river banks etc should be identified. 

The puja committees should be directed to engage volunteers at the site of celebrations and necessary guidelines to the volunteers may be given with Dos and Donts. 

a) All the sites leading to celebration/puja must be sanitized and checked

b) Only five persons per family are allowed at a time in the Pula ghats maintain a social distancing and other protocols of COVID-19, Pula committees MI ensure that only the religious rituals will be observed

c) There shall y o Mela/cultural events in connection with the celebration of Pula

d) The puja committees will not allow any vendor. tempera, tea stall, chat house etc in the vicinity of the puja pandal

e) All visitors to the Puja location shall be subjected to thermal scanning by Pula organizers and no person with any symptom related to COVID-19 shall be allowed to enter the Puja pandals Strict compliance of social distancing. wearing mask, etc are to be maintained.

g) All organizers and volunteers must be at least vaccinated with one dose of vaccine and preferably with two doses of vaccination h) In case any person visitor to Puja panda! is suspected to b symptomatic with COVID-14 it will be the responsibility of the Puja organizers to inform the nearest Government medical facility and arrange for shifting of such persons to the nearest COVID treatment centre

C. Guidelines for organizing Raas Festival:

a) All organisers of the Rass committee must take permission from the District Administration for organising Rass Festival 2021.

b) The district administration will convene a meeting of all Raas Committees/ Organizers for a detailed briefing on the protocol/guidelines issued by the Government or giving permission in order to ensure compliance with COVID protocols This is to extend all possible support to the Raas Committees for the successful and safe celebration of Raas Festival maintaining COVID-19 appropriate protocol

1. Participation in Raas Festival

a) Children below the age of 10 years and senior citizens above the age of 65 (Sixty five years are not allowed to perform in the Raas festival

b) Prior to the start of the first day of Raas the actors and other participants

Organizers will ensure thermal screening of all participants prior to the start of performance every day