The Maharashtra Government has announced guidelines for people travelling to the Konkan region for Ganeshotsav later this month. The Ganesh festival begins on August 22. Lakhs of people annually travel from Mumbai, Thane and Pune to their home towns in Konkan region including Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, to celebrate the 10-day festival.<br />''<span style="font-weight: bold;"><i> </i><br />''</span>According to the guidelines issued by the State Government, people who wish to travel to Konkan after August 12 will have to undergo COVID-19 test 48 hours before their journey and only those who are found negative in the swab test will be allowed to enter the districts. <br />''<br />''On the other hand, those who plan to travel to Konkan before August 12 will have to remain home-quarantined for 10 days. The guidelines further said, those who are travelling via ST buses to Konkan will not need an e-pass but those travelling via other private vehicles will require one.<br />''<br />'' Meanwhile, local administrations in the three districts including Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg are gearing up to tackle the influx of visitors. District authorities will set up check-points to check test reports of the travellers and screen them for any COVID-19 symptoms. The Railways is also likely to announce special trains for Konkan region for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival after having consulted the Maharashtra government about the same.<br />