Tough New Curbs For Ganesh Chaturthi In Mumbai

The 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations that started today will be muted in Mumbai. Amid fears of a third wave of the pandemic, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued fresh curbs - including a ban on processions and visits to Ganpati pandals - for Ganesh Chaturthi. Organisers have been urged to try and ensure live coverage of the Aarti through social media platforms. Only those fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 will be allowed to volunteer in the pandals, officials said. The curbs have been imposed amid a resurgence in the number of new cases in the city -- on Wednesday, the figure crossed over 500 for the first time since July 15.