Jamshedpur: After the State Government’s decision allowing devotees to perform rituals on river banks with social distancing norms in place, Health Minister Banna Gupta asked the East Singhbhum district administration to remain on alert mode. The Minister convened a meeting with the district officials, team from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and representatives of corporate houses at the Circuit House.
In the view of devotees traditionally offering prayers to the Sun god dipping into the river, Gupta asked the administration to remain in alert mode and ensure implementation of social distancing norms. He also asked the administration to depute divers and life jackets in adequate strength at Chhat ghats. The Minister also informed that he will personally visit ghats to review the preparation.
“In view of the filled up rivers we are taking precautionary measures to ensure safety at the Chhath ghats,” said a district official. The official informed that the administration will barricade the danger zones and also put up sign boards to caution the revelers visiting the riverbanks.
Particularly, Tata Steel Utilities and Infrastructure Services Limited ( TSUISL) has been asked to provide electricity and make lighting arrangement in the low lying areas of the city, or for that matter, at the approaching paths to the two rivers.
“This year the situation is just the opposite so we are making adequate arrangements to make the festival an incident free celebration. In view of Covid-19 we have to be extra careful. We have also to ensure social distancing norms are followed and devotees wear mask,” said a district administration official.
In addition to this, several of the non government agencies are carrying out cleaning drives at the riverbanks to make the place clean for the devotees. “At Kharkai river bank we have identified few Chhat ghats where our volunteers are carrying out the cleaning drive ahead of the festival,” said a social worker.
Meanwhile officials of Chhath Ghat Committee said that there is an urgent need to properly clean the river banks, and various water bodies on the occasion of the festival of Chhath Puja, which is celebrated with gaiety and fervour by people of the city.
They said that people take bath in water tanks and rivers and therefore it is essential that the cleaning work of these water bodies is completed on time.
Meanwhile several social and cultural organisations of the city have decided to set up canopies near ghats to supply essential commodities to the devotees. Administration is barricading the danger zones and also putting up sign boards to caution the revelers visiting the riverbanks.