Guwahati: The Kamrup (metro) district administration will take stern action against the selling and consumption of ganja and other drugs during Shivaratri.

A team, comprising excise officials and police, will be deployed in and around Sukreswar and Bhima Shankar temples, Umananda island and Basistha Mandir, the four major places of Shiva worship, on February 14 on Shivaratri.

“We will take steps to restrict the use of gan

ja and other drugs on Shivaratri. As ganja is related to the worship of Shiva, it is a challenge to restrict its individual use. But we will take action to curb largescale sale of ganja in and around the temples,” superintendent of excise, Kamrup (metro), Debajit Nath said.

On preparations for Shivaratri, he said, “We will form various teams to keep vigil. Our aim is to stop the use of any illegal substance by safeguarding religious beliefs.”

The inland water transport department will also restrict movement of commercial boats on the Brahmaputra to Umananda island. Instead, it will ply eight more ferries on the route on February 14.

The administration will also curb the use of plastic bags and cups on the temple premises. Police, fire service and disaster response personnel will be also deployed to tackle any untoward incident.

The administration will also carry out cleanliness drive on the major temple premises on February 13 and 15 before and after the rituals. In Sukreswar temple, the administration will restrict the distribution of food items to beggars by devotees to maintain cleanliness.

  Northeast