Eid: BMC issues fresh directions; permits religious sacrifice of 150 buffaloes per day

Ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued fresh directions permitting religious sacrifice of 150 buffaloes per day from August 1 to August 3 for Eid-ul-Adha between 6 am to 6 pm. Additionally, the civic body in Bhiwandi city of Maharashtra has urged citizens to celebrate Bakrid at their homes and not assemble in public places, especially mosques, to prevent the spread of coronavirus, an official said on Friday.

The gathering of people in large numbers is not advisable in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Dr Pankaj Ashiya, municipal commissioner of the Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation.

READ: Congress faction slams Uddhav govt's guidelines on Bakri Eid; demand urgent meeting

READ: Bakri Eid: Waris Pathan urges CM Uddhav to ease restrictions on transportation of animals

Bakri Eid: Waris Pathan Urges CM Uddhav To Ease Restrictions On Transportation Of Animals

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Waris Pathan has appealed Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to immediately issue orders to allow entry of trucks ferrying goats into the state for Muslim buyers to mark Eid-al-Adha or Bakri Eid. 

In the last few days, reports have surfaced on social media of trucks and other transport vehicles loaded with goats being stuck on state borders after Maharashtra Police didn't allow them permission to enter. Reports suggest that a lack of clarity on the protocol allowing livestock to enter from other states amid the Coronavirus pandemic is one of the prime reasons for the hurdle.

As per the Maharashtra government guidelines, people have been asked to offer prayers at home on Eid and purchase sacrificial animals online or over the phone. Moreover, Muslims have been advised to preferably perform the animal sacrifice ritual 'symbolically'.

READ: West Bengal extends bi-weekly lockdown till August 31; relaxations on Raksha Bandhan, Eid

READ: Maharashtra: Public gatherings banned in Bhiwandi, Palghar on Bakri-Eid