Large public gatherings have been probhibited in Ahmedabad for protection of transmission of swine flu.
With 283 swine flu deaths in the state, the Ahmedabad Bar Association has decided to take a leave of absence from work. About 10,000 advocates will not be attending court sessions starting today till Saturday to avoid gathering of a large number of litigants in court complexes.
The Ahmedabad District and Sessions Court is one of the biggest in the state and bar association members say that the decision was taken to avoid assembly of large number of people. However, the association added that urgent matters would be taken up by the advocates.
"We had taken a decision at the bar association meeting that from today till Saturday we will suspend the work because of increasing cases. There are about 10000 advocates in Ahmedabad and almost 30000 litigants assemble in different courts of the city thereby becoming an easy ground for virus transmission. So we have decided to suspend the functioning at least till Saturday,'' said president of the association, Rajesh Parikh.
4800 people have been diagnosed of swine flu so far in Gujarat, making it one of the worse health crises in the state in recent years. Already the district administration in Ahmedabad has imposed section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure or CrPC to prevent big gathering. The state government has also issued a directive to clubs and organizers asking them to keep Holi celebrations low key and to avoid big gatherings.