Jamshedpur DC convenes meeting on Chhath, divers and life jackets for devotees     

Jamshedpur, Oct 26: With bountiful monsoon filling up the otherwise parched adjoining rivers of Kharkhai and Subernarekha this year the district administration has taken slew of measures to prevent mishaps on Chhath  festival.

In the light of devotees traditionally offering prayers to the Sun god dipping into the river, the administration has resolved to identify safe places (Chhath ghats) for offering prayers at the two rivers. Besides, the administration has decided to depute divers and life jackets in adequate strength at Chhath  ghats.

 In this connection, a meeting was held wherein various agencies of the government along with city based utility services company, were present to prepare safety measures ahead of the popular festival.

DC Vijaya Jadhav presided over a meeting today at district headquarters. She asked all the  civic bodies to ensure cleanliness and safety.

“In view of the filled up rivers we are taking precautionary measures to ensure safety at the Chhath  ghats,” said Piyush Sinha, SDO, Dhalbhum.  

Administration is barricading the danger zones and also putting up sign boards to caution the revelers visiting the riverbanks. The officials informed that drones will be used to keep an eye on the preparations and safety of the devotees.

In 2006, eight youths, including three teenagers had drowned into the Subarnarekha river here on Chhath  causing much embarrassment to the administration.

Ironically, in the wake of the parched river, the government had issued a directive to the Chandil dam to release water in the Subarnarekha river a day ahead of Chhath last year.  “This year the situation is just the opposite so we are making adequate arrangements to make the festival an incident free celebration,” 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.

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. “The administration should also ensure proper lighting facilities, life saving divers along the ghats. Thousands of devotees would offer “Araghya“ to the setting sun at various ghats in Mango, Adityapur, Baghbera, Sidhgora. The administration should deploy police personnel and emergency services like ambulances at riverbanks,” noted a political leader.