Chhath Puja: 200 police personnel, 20 divers to keep watch on Yamuna ghats

Celebrated after Diwali every year, Chhath Puja is a worship of the sun god that is mainly observed by people from the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and western Uttar Pradesh

Beginning November 17, the Gautam Budh Nagar administration will be putting in place measures to ensure safety and security of devotees arriving at the Yamuna ghats for chhath festivities, district officials said on Wednesday.

The highly polluted waters of the Yamuna with a thick white layer of toxic foam on the surface. Thousands of devotees will take a dip in the river on Chhath Puja, starting November 17. (Sunil Ghosh /HT Photo)

Gautam Budh Nagar police said around 200 personnel will remain deployed on the Yamuna banks and ghats from November 17-20, to ensure safety of people arriving there for Chhath Puja. Around 20 professional divers will also be kept on standby to undertake rescue operations, in case of any untoward incident, police said.

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Assistant commissioner of police, Noida-1, Rajneesh Verma said, “For Chhath festivities, which will be observed from November 17, several teams of around 200 police personnel are going to remain deputed at the Yamuna ghats to ensure safety of devotees.”

“Around 20 professional divers have also been roped in and they will remain deployed to assist in rescue operations, if needed,” said the ACP.

Celebrated after Diwali every year, Chhath Puja is a worship of the sun god that is mainly observed by people from the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and western Uttar Pradesh . A large number of devotees in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) converge on the banks of the Yamuna and make an offering (arghya) to the setting sun and the rising sun the next day.

Officials said site inspections were conducted by the additional deputy commissioner of police Shakti Mohan Awasthi and other senior police officers on Tuesday.

“Necessary instructions were issued and the concerning area police have been notified to ensure adequate arrangements are in place at the Yamuna ghats, including sufficient lighting and installation of barricading. Directions have also been given to ensure that devotees are not allowed to go deep into the waters during the rituals. CCTV cameras have also been installed for keeping a strict vigil on devotees,” the ACP said.