Idol makers from Pune, Maharashtra say COVID-19 has affected their businesses as they have not got orders for Ganesh idols ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi.
An idol maker says, "We don't have any bookings. We are dependent on this festival but people are afraid of stepping out."
Due to the coronvirus pandemic this year's Ganeshotsav will be celebrated in a simple manner and the government has appealed to the public to celebrate the ten-day Ganpati festival in their mandal temple itself and not involve in setting up huge decorations and programmes.
The COVID-19 case count in Maharashtra's Pune rose by 1,390 in the last 24 hours to 65,966, a health official said on Sunday. With 24 people succumbing to the infection, the death toll went up to 1,540, he said.