The committee, in its notification, said that the practice of taking bath in one waterbody by a group of people could increase chances of virus transmission. It also disallowed placing of barricades or earmarking of areas for the purpose of performing Chhath puja. As there is a fixed time to perform the rituals, it would be difficult to control the crowd, the order said. The notification further said that setting up of shops and stalls near the waterbodies won’t be permitted. A total of 1,06,064 people have tested positive for COVID-19 cases in Jharkhand so far, of which 924 have succumbed to the infection.

Source: The Hindu November 16, 2020 06:19 UTC