August 10, 2009 3:06:11 am
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan will meet organisers of Ganesh Mandals and Dahi Handi Mandals on Monday to work out a way to insulate thousands of devotees against H1N1. We will discuss ways with mandals to check the possible spread of the virus, said Chavan.
The coordination committee for Ganesh Mandals in Mumbai met on Saturday and chalked out some suggestions. It will ask the government for medical staff at large mandals.
It will also ask civic health authorities for pamphlets that volunteers can distribute door to door while collecting funds. We will ask volunteers to check if anyone has the symptoms. They will be advised to take precautions, said Naresh Dahigaonkar,vice-president,BMC coordination Committee for Ganesh Mandals.
People will be advised to visit mandals by day,said Dahigaonkar. President of Lalbaugcha Raja Satish Khankar advised those affected to stay at home and seek blessings online or on live television.
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The civic administration said it will not stop any festivities. We cannot stop anyone from celebrating their festivals. We can only urge citizens to take precautions, said Dr Jairaj Thanekar,executive health officer,BMC.
Both festivals attract foreign tourists. The BMC has requested people with flu-like symptoms to avoid going out in crowded areas.
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