New Delhi: In what comes as a Chhath Gift for Delhiites, the festival is set to get back its old flavour and be celebrated this year along the Yamuna river too. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approved allocation of Yamuna Ghats for celebration of Chhath Puja in Delhi. Keeping in view the religious and spiritual beliefs and sentiments of lakhs of people from UP & Bihar living in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approved the proposal by Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot to allow the celebration of Chatth Puja at different Ghats along the Yamuna River.
In view of this approval, directions have been issued to all the District Magistrates that additional measures may be deployed for ensuring that no polluting material is immersed in River Yamuna. Measures including banners, posters, audio messages at sites, deployment of CDVs may be employed for ensuring the guidelines issued by the NGT.
Earlier, a concern has been conveyed regarding construction of Puja Ghats near Yamuna River and the offerings by the devotees at such Ghats which might lead to pollution in the river. Various orders and instructions issued by the National Green Tribunal as well as the directions issued by National Mission for Clean Ganga, had been brought to the notice of the Government.
The festival of Chhath Puja has traditionally been celebrated with a lot of religious fervour by people belonging to primarily the States of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar living in Delhi. The Delhi Government has always facilitated the occasion by providing various facilities in the form of construction of Ghats, ensuring cleanliness around the places where offerings are to be made by the devotees. This year too, the Administration is all geared up to provide the facilities to the devotees at around 1100 Ghats.
Chatth Puja is traditionally celebrated only by offering water to the Sun God and no other material is required to be offered or immersed in the rivers, canals and ponds.
District administration will also ensure that messages for following the guidelines for cleanliness of River Yamuna, apart from other usual messages, may also be displayed on LED Systems at all Chhath Ghats on River Yamuna. Deployment of Civil Defence Volunteers will also be done at all Ghats to facilitate the movement of devotees.
