COVID-19: Public celebration of Ganesh festival restricted to 3 days in Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Sep 7: The Bengaluru civic agency has permitted only three-day Ganesha Pooja celebrations in the city in public places against the Karnataka government order allowing five days' of festivities in the state, to keep COVID-19 infections in check.
"Ganesha festival will not be allowed for more than three days in Bengaluru city. There should not be any procession while bringing the idol or during immersion," the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said in a circular.
The instruction came after Gupta had a meeting with senior district level officers and Bengaluru police commissioner Kamal Pant.
Later talking to reporters, Gupta said the BBMP had last year permitted Ganesha festival for three days, which will continue this year as well.
He said the decision to have it for only three days was taken after inputs from the police that there were possibilities of large gatherings participating in the public celebrations.
Gupta also said that Ganesha idols made of plaster of Paris have been banned.
He asked people to immerse the traditional Ganesha idol, made up of biodegradable material in their homes in buckets or mobile tankers of the civic agency.
"Idols installed at homes should be immersed at home only or in our mobile tank. Ganeshas installed at public places should be of (a maximum of) four feet height and should be immersed in mobile tanks. We are also creating immersion tanks. We have also arrived at a decision to ban immersion of idols in lakes," Gupta said.
Pant said one Ganesha idol at public place in each ward is permitted, for which the organisers will have to get the nod from the BBMP and then inform the deputy commissioner of police of the area.
A BBMP official the number of infections in the city is still on the higher side and hence it was decided to limit public celebrations to a maximum of three days.
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Six arrested in Bengaluru drug racket; narcotics worth Rs 20 crore seized
Bengaluru: Six persons have been arrested for allegedly procuring banned narcotic substances at low prices and selling them for profit, with college students among the buyers, police said on Tuesday.
Police seized 8 kg 58 g of MDMA, 5 kg 700 g of hydro ganja, four mobile phones, and a car used to transport the drugs. The total value of the seized items is estimated at Rs 10.05 crore, while the market value is around Rs 20.10 crore, The Times of India reported.
The arrests followed searches carried out at various locations based on specific intelligence inputs.
Police said information had been received about the sale of banned drugs, including MDMA and hydro ganja, within the limits of Yeshwanthpur and Nandini Layout police stations.
“During these operations, six individuals were detained on different dates, two from other states and four locals,” a statement issued by the office of City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said.
“Upon interrogation, the accused confessed that they were purchasing banned drugs such as MDMA and hydro ganja at low prices from unknown inter-state and local suppliers and selling them to the public, with college students among the buyers, for profit,” the statement added.
Police said efforts are underway to identify and trace the suppliers involved in the network.
All six accused have been produced before a court on different dates and remanded to judicial custody, police said.
