A day after Sri Ram Sena protest, Karnataka govt allows Ganesh Chaturthi public gatherings

News Network

August 18, 2020

Bengaluru, Aug 18: Taking a U-turn from its decision to to ban all public events for Ganesh Chaturthi festival, the Karnataka government on today allowed all public installations of idols in a restricted manner.

This development came a day after Hindu groups such as the Pramod Muthalik-headed Sri Ram Sena, staged protests in Dharwad area, questioning why the government which has allowed to open bars and liquor stores, could not allow public installation of Ganesha idols.

Last week, the state government had banned gatherings, apprehending public installations could lead to a spike in Covid-19 cases.

However, now the fresh guidelines state that public installations are allowed but not more than 20 people should gather at any given point of time. Ganesha idols must also not be over 4 feet high in public places (government/ public/ privately-owned grounds, street chowks), and not over 2 feet high in homes, it added.

Local representatives and officials have been asked to persuade citizens that only one public installation be allowed in each ward and each village. While the processions while buying or during immersion of idols will remain prohibited.

The government has also banned music, cultural, and other events as part of the Ganesha festival. And the idols must be immersed in designated tanks/ mobile tanks only, after being taken to the spot in the shortest possible route.

The government is yet to notify whether there is any change instance as far as observing Muharram is concerned, where public gatherings again had been banned. Muharram falls on August 29, a week after Ganesha Chaturthi.

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if everything goes as per the requirement and demand of some anti social elements, then don’t expect any progress on reduction of Corona Virus cases in Karnataka.

If everything goes as per the requirements and demands of some anti social elements, then don't expect any progress on reduction of Corona Virus cases in Karnataka.

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Chaos continues as IndiGo cancels more flights including 73 from Bengaluru airport

News Network

December 4,2025

Domestic carrier IndiGo has cancelled over 180 flights from three major airports — Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru — on Thursday, December 4, as the airline struggles to secure the required crew to operate its flights in the wake of new flight-duty and rest-period norms for pilots.

While the number of cancellations at Mumbai airport stands at 86 (41 arrivals and 45 departures) for the day, at Bengaluru, 73 flights have been cancelled, including 41 arrivals, according to a PTI report that quoted sources.

"IndiGo cancelled over 180 flights on Thursday at three airports-Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru," the source told the news agency.

Besides, it had cancelled as many as 33 flights at Delhi airport for Thursday, the source said, adding, "The number of cancellations is expected to be higher by the end of the day."

The Gurugram-based airline's On-Time Performance (OTP) nosedived to 19.7 per cent at six key airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad — on December 3, as it struggled to get the required crew to operate its services, down from almost half of December 2, when it was 35 per cent.

"IndiGo has been facing acute crew shortage since the implementation of the second phase of the FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) norms, leading to cancellations and huge delays in its operations across the airports," a source had told PTI on Wednesday.

Chaos continued at several major airports for the third day on Thursday because of the cancellations.

A spokesperson for the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru said that 73 IndiGo flights had been cancelled on Thursday.

At least 150 flights were cancelled and dozens of others delayed on Wednesday, airport sources said, leaving thousands of travellers stranded, according to news agency Reuters.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has said it is investigating IndiGo flight disruptions and has asked the airline to submit the reasons for the current situation, as well as its plans to reduce flight cancellations and delays.

It may be mentioned here that the pilots' body, Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), has alleged that IndiGo, despite getting a two-year preparatory window before the full implementation of new flight duty and rest period norms for cockpit crew, "inexplicably" adopted a "hiring freeze".

The FIP said it has urged the safety regulator, the DGCA, not to approve airlines' seasonal flight schedules unless they have adequate staff to operate their services "safely and reliably" in accordance with the New Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms.

In a letter to the DGCA late on Wednesday, the FIP urged the DGCA to consider re-evaluating and reallocating slots to other airlines, which have the capacity to operate them without disruption during the peak holiday and fog season if IndiGo continues to "fail in delivering on its commitments to passengers due to its own avoidable staffing shortages."

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