Unlike previous years, Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) is all set to get most of its preparation works for Chhath done prior to Diwali. The civic body officials have said that the works are on to ensure safety of Chhath devotees while they step into water bodies for offering their prayers to the Sun God. Among those works, checking random dumping of Pooja materials in water bodies after Diwali remained at the top.
Municipal Commissioner Prashant Kumar said that the civic body has identified nine water bodies in city for creating Jalkunds. “Jalkunds will be small compartments demarcated by nets and bamboos in a portion of water body to throw Pooja paraphernalia. These Jalkunds will come up at Ranchi lake near Upper Bazaar, Kanke Dam, Argora pond, Karamtoli pond, Dhurwa Dam at Hatia, Jail pond, Jagannathpur pond, Chadri pond near Saheed Chowk and Button Talab in Doranda,” Kumar said.
"As many as 35 workers in four zones have been assigned to carry out cleaning works at these water bodies. Once cleaning is over, limits will be demarcated in the water beyond which the devotees would not be allowed to go to stop them from drowning. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team and deep divers and rescuers will also be deployed at these water bodies," the municipal commissioner said.
He said that RMC workers would be deployed at these Jalkunds to filter the paraphernalia out of them the moment they were thrown in the Kund, so that the water body could be kept pollution free. He added that people would be asked to immerse the material inside Jalkunds only.