Bhubaneswar: In view of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, there will be no Zero Night celebrations in the Twin Cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar this year.
The officials of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) have come up with special guidelines which prohibit large gatherings during Zero Night celebrations.
Any kind of event or congregation including Zero Night celebration at hotels, clubs, convention halls, kalyan mandaps have been strictly prohibited in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.
Large gatherings during Zero Night celebration in any other place across the twin cities are also strictly prohibited.
The residents of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar have been advised to celebrate New Year with their friends/family and relatives at private houses/establishments with strict adherence to the COVID-19 norms and other guidelines issued by the Centre and State government.
Meanwhile, a thick blanket of security will also be put in place to maintain law and order in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, said Commissionerate Police on Monday.
Special measures will be taken to check drunken driving and other anti-social elements during the Zero night celebrations.
Bhubaneswar DCP, Umashankar Dash said, “As there will be no Zero Night celebrations, 20 platoons of police force will be deployed in the city on December 31.”
Surprise raids will be conducted on hotels and other places to ensure that the guidelines and restrictions clamped by the State government to prevent COVID-19 spread are duly followed, said Dash.
“Patrolling will be intensified and blocking will be done in different prominent junctions in the city,” he added.
(Edited By Ramakant Biswas)