Directions issued to clean Hindon river ahead of Chhath Puja in Ghaziabad

The Ghaziabad municipal corporation (GMC) has directed departments concerned to clean and maintain 61 locations, including different banks of river Hindon, for hosting Chhath Puja this year, said officials on Thursday

The Ghaziabad municipal corporation (GMC) has directed departments concerned to clean and maintain 61 locations for hosting Chhath Puja this year, said officials on Thursday.

The cleaning and maintenance of different locations for the Chhath Puja will commence soon, and the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department will also release water into Hindon river before the festival. (Sakib Ali/HT)

The locations also include different banks of river Hindon, where devotees will arrive on November 10 and 11, 2021, to offer prayers in the river water. GMC officials said that temporary ponds will be created in different localities for devotees for the same.

“We have directed the departments concerned to start cleaning, beautifying, supplying electricity with street lights, and creating provision of drinking water, changing rooms for women, among other facilities. One special control room will also be set up at the main river bank adjacent to Grand Trunk (GT) Road. The work will commence soon, and the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department will release water into the river before the festival... Artificial/temporary ponds will be dug up in different localities for the devotees for offering prayers. These are for those who won’t be able to go to the river banks,” said Pramod Kumar, additional municipal commissioner.

Lakhs of devotees celebrate the festival in the region, which majorly include people from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

“We held several meetings with the officials concerned regarding arrangements which need to be done well ahead of the puja. Our main concerns are sufficient water supply to river Hindon, and cleaning of the river banks. It is estimated that about seven lakh devotees in the region offer prayers during the festival... However, the officials concerned have assured that sufficient fresh water will be released into the river by November 8, so that devotees can offer prayers without any hassle,” said Rakesh Tiwari, national general secretary of ‘Purabiya Jan Kalyan Parishad’ -- a socio-cultural association having mostly the residents of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

According to the residents, the river water is contaminated at present. “People suffer from allergies and see other harmful effects after taking a dip in the river water. So, fresh water supply is needed to wash away the pollutants. We are expecting that fresh water will be released into the river before the festival,” said Gyanendra Kumar, a devotee from Arthala.

The officials of the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department, meanwhile, said that their counterparts from Meerut are making arrangements to release water into the river. “Water from the Upper Ganga Canal will be routed through the Jani escape into river Hindon. Our department officials from Meerut are making arrangements for the same. It is expected that clean water will be available in the river before the festival,” said Sanjay Singh, executive engineer of Uttar Pradesh irrigation department.