Karnataka govt imposes cap on number of people attending celebrations like marriages
Bengaluru, Mar 12: With COVID-19 cases witnessing an upsurge in the state, the Karnataka government on Friday put a cap on the number of people that can gather at events and celebrations like marriages, among others.
As per the new rules, only 500 people will be allowed at marriages if these are held in open spaces and 200 if the events are held at halls or closed spaces.
A circular to this effect was released by Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Jawaid Akhtar, who said the measure has been taken amid the emergence of new Covid-19 clusters and fear of a second wave.
For birthday celebrations, 100 people would be allowed in open spaces, and 50 in closed spaces.
A similar number will be allowed at funerals.
However, at cremations and burials, only 50 people would be allowed.
For religious and political gatherings in open spaces, the number has been restricted to 500.
The test targets for a few districts have been set aimed at controlling the spread of virus-like- Belagavi 4,000 tests per day, Bengaluru and BBMP together 40,000 per day, Dakshina Kannada 3,000 a day, Mysuru 5,000 tests per day, among others.
ನೆರೆ ರಾಜ್ಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚುತ್ತಿರುವ ಕೊರೊನಾ ಪ್ರಕರಣಗಳ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡನೇ ಅಲೆ ಬರದಂತೆ ನಿಯಂತ್ರಿಸಲು ಕೆಲ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕೋವಿಡ್ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆಯ ಗುರಿಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ.
— Dr Sudhakar K (@mla_sudhakar) March 12, 2021
ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಜನಸಂದಣಿ ತಡೆಗಟ್ಟಲು ಮದುವೆ ಇನ್ನಿತರ ಆಚರಣೆ, ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ, ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಸಭೆ-ಸಮಾರಂಭಗಳಿಗೆ ನೂತನ ನಿಯಮಗಳನ್ನು ಜಾರಿ ಮಾಡಲಾಗಿದೆ.@DHFWKA pic.twitter.com/fdq8vH6wvE
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Heavy rain, hailstorms lash parts of Uttarakhand; all districts put on high alert
Dehradun (PTI): Heavy rain and hailstorms accompanied by strong winds lashed several districts of Uttarakhand on Sunday morning, prompting the state administration to put all district authorities on high alert.
The sudden change in weather caused uprooted trees to block roads and disrupted power supply at various locations.
Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman chaired a review meeting with district officials to assess the situation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain and thunderstorms at most places across all districts for Monday and Tuesday. Snowfall is expected in regions situated at altitudes of 4,000 metres and above.
An 'orange alert' remains in place for Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar. These districts are likely to witness isolated heavy rain, hailstorms, and intense to very intense spells of rain accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph, the IMD said.
The weather office predicted that maximum temperatures across the state are likely to fall by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next three to four days. During the past 24 hours, maximum temperatures remained "markedly below normal" in the plains and ranged from "markedly" to "appreciably" below normal in the hilly regions.
Dehradun experienced dark, overcast skies early Sunday, creating night-like conditions during morning hours. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average.
For the state capital, the forecast predicts a partly to generally cloudy sky with a high of 31 degrees Celsius and a low of 19 degrees Celsius.
Significant rainfall was recorded across the state after 8.30 am on Sunday, with Jollygrant receiving 21.6 mm and Mohakampur recording 19.8 mm. Other areas, including Mukteshwar (15.0 mm), Mussoorie (13.4 mm), and Pithoragarh (8.5 mm), also saw measurable precipitation.
Secretary Suman directed officials to clear blocked roads on priority to ensure public convenience. Specific instructions were issued regarding the Char Dham Yatra, ordering that helicopter services must operate strictly according to weather conditions to ensure pilgrims' safety.
Isolated places in the remaining hilly districts are also expected to experience thunderstorms with lightning and intense rain spells.
