Delhi will witness a grand Chhath Puja this year: Rekha Gupta

Chhath Puja will be organised along both banks of Yamuna from Palla in the north to Okhla in the south with full facilities for devotees

Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Monday announced Chhath Puja this year will be celebrated on both sides of Yamuna and that no immersion of puja material will be allowed.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta (PTI)

“Chhath Puja will be organised along both banks of Yamuna from Palla in the north to Okhla in the south with full facilities for devotees wherever suitable riverbanks are available. Ghats will get a major upgrade and we have directed officials to prepare every stretch of Yamuna for Chhath celebrations,” CM Gupta said during a meeting at the Delhi Secretariat, also attended by cabinet ministers Ashish Sood and Kapil Mishra.

Further, Chhath Puja — to be celebrated from October 25 to 28 this year — will also be organised at the Munak Canal, Mungeshpur drain, and at several artificial ponds in Delhi, she added. “In total, the capital hosts rituals at 929 sites, and the government will make complete arrangements at each of them. Institutions requiring a No Objection Certificate (NOC) will be provided one without delay.”

Officials from the chief minister’s office (CMO) said that they have been directed to maintain complete cleanliness at all sites, to sprinkle water to avoid dust-related inconvenience, and for police to maintain safety and traffic arrangements.

“Medical facilities will also be provided at puja sites. The irrigation department has been directed to remove water hyacinth from Yamuna before the festival. This year, special lighting arrangements will also be made so that devotees face no difficulty,” an official informed.