Disposing of a petition that sought a direction to the authorities to provide basic facilities to devotees during the Maha Shivaratri ‘Shivalaya Ottam’ covering 12 temples in Kanniyakumari district on March 12, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the State to provide temporary toilets and sanitation facilities, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice R. Hemalatha directed the authorities concerned to ensure that there were adequate bandobust for the event. The court urged the public to strictly adhere to COVID-19 guidelines by wearing face masks and maintaining physical distancing.
The judges requested the public not to congregate in large numbers and suggested that a few representatives of the family could attend the event instead. The court disposed of the petition filed by A. Radhakrishnan of Thoothukudi who sought basic facilities for the devotees
