In a relief for people interested in visiting the pandals for Durga Puja celebrations in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday eased its earlier order that made the pandals a 'no-entry-zone'.
Hearing the review plea of around 400 top Durga Puja organisers in the state capital appealed for a review of the order, the court on Wednesday allowed entry of up to 45 people at a time depending on the size of the pandals.
For bigger pandals that are over 300 sq metres, 60 people (comprising puja committee members & locals) have been allowed inside, only 45 people can remain present inside at a time. For smaller pandals, 30 people (comprising puja committee members & locals) allowed inside, with only 15 people allowed to remain present inside the pandal at a time.
The court also said that the list with names must be displayed outside the pandal by 8 am. It also said that Dhakis or traditional drum players are allowed to perform in a limited number and they will remain outside the pandal but within the ‘no entry zones’ (between pandal and 5/10 metres barricades). They will, however, have to follow social distancing norms and wear masks.
On Monday, the court had ordered that all the Durga Puja pandals in West Bengal will be a no-entry zone for visitors and only organizers will be allowed to enter the pandals amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The court also highlighted that five metres beyond the extremities of the small pandals and 10 metres beyond the bigger pandals are to be barricaded and demarcated as no-entry zones.
This direction will apply to all the 34,000 Durga Puja pandals in the state.
"When students across schools, colleges or in higher studies have not attended the educational institutions for almost six months and several students stand to lose a year, it is rather incongruous that puja festivities be permitted to continue as earlier years. However, now that pandals have already come up and were no curbs in the state, the common citizen should be discouraged to gather in the pandals. The measures that have been announced by the state are well-planned but without a proper blueprint to be implemented on the ground. The apprehension that crowding could lead to an uncontrollable burst in the number of people afflicted by the virus. The police cannot be blamed with limited resources at their disposal," the court said.
This order must not be seen as one against the state’s measures but to see proper implementation of measures with limited police personnel and administrative officials, the court said.