With the dates for the Durgotsava inching ever so closer now, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that rains may quit literally spill water on the fellow Bengali's annual plans for Durga Puja this year, as if the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak was not enough to do that.
The Ranchi Meterological Centre of the IMD has indicated that the formation of a low-pressure over north Bay of Bengal around this time would result in cloud cover and moderate rain over Jharkhand between October 15 and 23.
According to a report by The Telegraph, a duty officer at the Regional Meterological Centre in Kolkata's Alipore corroborated the report and said that there is a possibility of rainfall during the Durga Puja since extended monsoons in Jharkhand are yet to withdraw this year, which usually does by October 10-12 under normal circumstances.
However, the presence of "two back-to-back weather systems originating from the Bay of Bengal" has brought with it the distant possibility of heavy rainfall in the southern part of West Bengal, at least during the first two or three days of Durga Puja, the weathermen were quoted as saying.
Earlier on Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated Durga Puja pandals across the state through video conferencing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
She inaugurated pandals from districts like Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri.
This year, Durga Puja will be celebrated from October 23 to October 26.
Earlier in the week, Banerjee had urged Durga Puja Committees not to allow people without masks in pandals during Puja celebrations.
(With agency inputs)
