KOCHI: The rise in Covid cases is threatening to dampen Onam festivities this year. With social distancing being the norm, it seems get-togethers of family and friends and the grand celebrations synonymous with the festival will have to be given a miss.However, spreading some positivity among people affected by the pandemic, the government has decided to go ahead with organising Onam fairs in the state from August 27 to 30, while adhering to social distancing norms. Thiruvonam falls on August 31 this year.
The agriculture department has already instructed its regional offices to prepare a report and identify the spots for setting up stalls in their respective districts. The Onam fair shops, to be set up through Krishi Bhavans of the department, will be set up in all panchayats.“We will start 120 Onam markets in Ernakulam and have identified the spots. Priority will be given to local farmers. Vegetables not cultivated here will be procured with the help of Horticorp,” said Ernakulam agriculture officer Dileep Kumar T. In Ernakulam, there are 97 Krishi Bhavans and 14 block assistant director offices.
All the employees of Krishi Bhavans and district offices of the agriculture department and the panchayat/local body officers will coordinate with each other to set up Onam fairs. Meanwhile, with the number of hotspots increasing, the venues identified in some panchayats are likely to be changed or shifted. As of August 11, there are 523 Covid-19 hotspots in Kerala.Recently, the agriculture department introduced a six-month internship programme for youngsters to attract more people towards farming. The project was implemented under the government’s Subhiksha Keralam project.