NEW DELHI: Elaborate arrangements have been made for Chhath puja at nearly 800 sites in Delhi, most of them newly dug ponds.
Delhi Disaster Management Authority, while allowing the annual festival, had, however, banned any events on the banks of the Yamuna. Hinting at the political importance of the festival, Delhi government has asked district authorities to create artificial water bodies and arrange tents, lights, drinking water and sanitation for the November 10-11 event.
After a political wrangle over the initial ban on the festival due to Covid fears, on October 29, DDMA allowed the puja, conducted mostly by people from Bihar and eastern UP, a demographic that has electoral significance. On Monday, Manish Sisodia claimed Delhi government was the only state administration that was organising Chhath puja on such a large scale.
Delhi govt deploys civil defence personnel at popular ghats to ensure Covid compliance
Despite all hurdles created by Covid, the Arvind Kejriwal government is celebrating Chhath in a grand manner. Before the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in 2015, the other governments had created barely 80-90 Chhath ghats and only select groups from BJP-Congress got exclusive access to these ghats," alleged Sisodia, continuing the political rhetoric that has marked the 2021 event.
The deputy CM added at the press conference that regardless of political affiliation of an individual, he or she was supported by the Kejriwal government in forming a proper Chhath committee to celebrate the festival. He also appealed to the people to practice caution, pointing out that Covid cases may be down, but the pandemic hadn't ended yet.
At all the puja sites, crowd control measures will be enforced by the district administration in coordination with the puja committees. Sisodia said the AAP government would provide amenities like tents, microphones, lights and music, sanitation, drinking water and security. The municipal corporations are responsible for sanitation at the puja sites and are working with the Delhi government on comfortable facilities for the lakhs of devotees.
"The work is almost done," said Yogesh Verma, chairman, Keshavpuram zone, North Delhi Municipal Corporation. "Only a few final touches are being given. The sites should be ready by Tuesday." Shyam Sundar Aggarwal, mayor of EDMC added, "Work is under way at the puja sites designated by the state government and all of them will be ready soon."
The corporations are coordinating with Delhi government's flood & irrigation department to dig pits on government and private lands to create artificial ponds and are carrying out fogging and cleaning of the sites. Tankers will come with water for these artificial ponds, which will be refilled with mud after the festival.
All the district administrations have been holding meetings with the Chhath puja committees in areas under their jurisdiction to chart out plans to celebrate the religious event without flouting the Covid protocols laid out by DDMA.
To ensure compliance with the Covid norms, including social distancing and face masks, Delhi government has deployed Civil Defence personnel at the popular Chhath ghats. Access to the Yamuna riverbanks has been stopped with police barricades and Civil Defence volunteers steering devotees away. Posters warning people against congregating on the riverbanks have been put up at many places.
Javed, a Civil Defence volunteer at Yamuna ghat near ITO, told TOI, "We have been given orders to not allow the people to carry out the Chhath rituals because DDMA has banned the puja near the river. A few women did arrive here to celebrate the sun puja, but we politely asked them to go to some other place." Police had barricaded the entrance to the ghat, with a message warning visitors not to celebrate the festival at the spot.
The situation was similar at the ghat at Kalindi Kunj, where volunteers posted at the entrance asked the people for identification and the purpose of their visit before letting them through. On Monday, only authorised personnel were permitted beyond the entrance.
"Clear orders have been given to us by the district magistrate to not allow the public to gather and carry out the rituals near the river for the next two-three days," said a volunteer there. "More officials will be posted here from Tuesday. I think the devotees are aware by now that they cannot show up at the ghats on the Yamuna."
The timing of the duties of the Civil Defence volunteers will change from November 10. They will be on duty from 3 in the afternoon and keep vigil through the night till 11 the next morning. The main puja begins at dawn on November 11.
The district administrations are creating awareness among the devotees about the DDMA restrictions and encouraging people to celebrate the festival with all necessary Covid protocols like masks, social distancing, etc. Delhi government claimed in a statement on Monday that it was due to the personal efforts of CM Kejriwal that lieutenant governor Anil Baijal was compelled to permit the organisation of Chhath puja in public.
