Assam Govt releases guidelines for celebrating Chhath Puja And Raas Festivals

GUWAHATI: Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) today released guidelines for the upcoming Chhath Puja and Raas festival in both rural and urban areas.

The guidelines will remain in force during the upcoming Chhath Puja and Raas festival until further orders.

Here are the guidelines to be followed by the event organizers /visitors/participants of the proposed festivals: 

1. The following conditions apply to meeting gatherings in open or closed spaces.

2. In open spaces jurisdictions, DDMAs must set a limit on meetings based on the COVID-19  situation in their districts, whereas in closed venues, gatherings are permitted up to 50% of the seating capacity of the hall auditorium, etc.

Guidelines for observing Chhath Puja

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

If any person/visitor to the Puja pandal is suspected of having COVID-19, the Puja organisers will be responsible for notifying the nearest Government medical facility and arranging for their transfer to the nearest COVD treatment centre.

Guidelines for observing Raas Festival:

Participation in Raas Festival

1. Children below the age of 10 years and senior citizens above the age of 65 years are not allowed to perform in the Raas festival
2. Prior to the start of the first day of Raas, the actors and other participants including volunteers, organizing committee members, etc will have to be tested for COVID-19. This should be done at least 48 hours before the start of the first day of the Raas Festival
3. In case any participant shows symptoms of COVID 19 subsequently, the organizers will debar such participant from participating and send the concerned person immediately for COVID-19 testing and subsequent treatment
4. Organizers will ensure thermal screening of all participants prior to the start of performance every day

Arrangements in Raas venues

1. Organizers must keep adequate space for the arrangement of physical distancing between two seats as per COVID-19 protocol
2. Entry and exit gates must be separate
3. Proper signage/floor marking must be made from entry to exit point so that visitors are properly guided on the route once he/she enters and leaves the venue.
4.  The exit should be done in a staggered manner to avoid crowding. Well-trained committee volunteers wearing masks and hand gloves must be stationed at different points inside the venue to assist visitors
5. Volunteers should sanitise their hands wear masks properly and ensure maintenance of social distance by the viewers while entering the venue while sitting and while leaving
6. Thermal screening of visitors/statt is to be carried out at entry points.
7. Only asymptomatic Individuals shall be allowed to enter the premises. All organizers have to arrange for thermal screening at entry points
8. Provisions for hand sanitization should be made available at all entry and exit points and in working areas along with a volunteer to assist visitors.
9. No individual without a mask should be allowed inside the Raas venues
10. The seats must be sanitized following appropriate procedures after each show by the organisers.
11. Proper crowd management in the parking lots and outside the premises, duly following physical distancing norms has to be ensure
12. Proper use of face masks shall be mandatory for all visitors

Consent of parents guardians:

1. Prior to the start of Raas, all minor performers (11-18 years of age should produce a written undertaking from their parents to the effect that they have no objections to their wards performing in the festival Organisers will allow the artists to participate only if such a certificate s produced.

Post-Raas testing

1. a) Post Raas there shall be mandatory testing of all persons involved in organising the Flaas Festival including actors, volunteers, singers, musicians backstage crew members, members of the organizing communities across all Raas venues
2. For this, the organizing committee will submit a list of names of such persons along with their contact numbers and addresses to the district administration

Booking and Payment:

1.  The contact number of buyers shall be taken at the time of booking of tickets to facilitate contact tracing if so required.
2. The purchase of tickets at the ticket counter shall be open throughout the day and advance booking shall be allowed at the sale counters.
3. Multiple ticket counters should be set up at every venue.

Moreover, organisation should put our flex banners near the venue detail in the covid-19 protocol.

The announcement should be made from time to time inside the venue requesting them to follow COVID protocol.

Self-monitoring of health by all performers and visitors and reporting of any illness at the earliest the district helpline is to be ensured.

Any behaviour detrimental to COVID -19 protocol is to be dealt with immediately.

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