After the peaceful completion of Durga Puja, the administration has geared up to prevent any mishap on Chhath festival. The Dhalbhum SDO Suraj Kumar has issued a directive to the respective local urban bodies and corporate sectors to make arrangement for safety of devotees to prevent incidents of drowning especially during the morning argha.
In the light of devotees traditionally offering prayers to the Sun God dipping into the river the administration has resolved to identify safe places (Chhat ghats) for offering prayers at the two rivers. Besides, the administration has decided to depute divers and life jackets in adequate strength at Chhat ghats. The festivity is scheduled on November 6-7.
Apart from the routine directive of cleaning up chhath ghats the administration has decided to deploy large number of volunteers who would be motivating devotees not to litter puja paraphernalia in the ghats but dispose it in designated dust bins at the major ghats.
“We are taking every step to ensure proper arrangements this time. We have asked Tata Steel subsidiary Jusco, local urban bodies Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC), Mango Notified Area Committee and Jugsalai municipality to clean respective ghats under their jurisdiction before November 5. Administration will carry out daily monitoring of the ghats cleaning from November 3 onwards. This year we will stress on clean ghats and employ volunteers to prevent littering at the ghats,” said Dhalbhum SDO Suraj Kumar.
The administration has directed civil defense and Indian Red Cross Society, city unit to depute adequate number of volunteers at the major ghats from November 6 afternoon (evening argha) till November 7 (morning argha) morning and has also asked Jusco, JNAC, MNAC and Jugsalai municipality to arrange for installing temporary dustbins and containers at the ghats.
Meanwhile, SDO Dhalbhum has directed Jusco and local urban bodies to ensure that approach roads to the ghats are leveled and halogen lamps are installed in adequate number at the ghats by November 5.
Incidentally, there are nearly 18 major ghats – including Subernarekha, Mango, Kapali, Dumuhani, Pandey, Bhuiyandih, Sati, Substation, Bodhanwala and Baroda ghat - in and around the city that draw thousands of devotees during Chhath. JNAC will be cleaning ghats in Baridih, Birsanagar and Surya Mandir (Sidhgora), ghats in Mango and Jugsalai will be cleaned by respective civic bodies. Jamshedpur block office will be cleaning ghats in fringe areas like Bagbera, Gadra, Chotta Gobindpur, Karandih, Sarjamda, Barigora and Bawangora.
Meanwhile officials of Chhath Ghat Committee said that there is an urgent need to properly clean the river banks, and various water bodies on the occasion of the festival of Chhat Puja, which is celebrated with gaiety and fervour by people of the city.