Delhi government prepares for large-scale Chhath celebrations

The government constituted a committee for Chhath Puja, headed by Art and Culture Minister Kapil Mishra. 

The BJP government in Delhi is preparing for Chhath Puja on an expanded scale this year, with a dedicated committee to coordinate arrangements across the Capital and a cleanliness drive along the Yamuna forming part of the preparations for the festival.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta joined cabinet colleagues, BJP leaders and volunteers on 18 October in the Chalo Yamuna campaign, which covered 70 locations along the river’s ghats and floodplains. The exercise involved removing waste from the riverbanks and preparing the sites ahead of Chhath, during which devotees gather at water bodies to offer prayers to the setting and rising Sun.

The government has also constituted a committee specifically for Chhath Puja, headed by Art and Culture Minister Kapil Mishra. Its members include MLAs Abhay Kumar Verma, Chandan Kumar Chaudhary, Sandeep Sehrawat and Deepak Chaudhary, along with Santosh Ojha, the president of Delhi BJP Purvanchal Morcha.

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The committee is tasked with coordinating arrangements at ghats and other venues, including sanitation, drinking water, medical assistance, security, fire services, traffic management and electricity. The government has also said that arrangements for festivals should be completed in advance so that devotees can participate without inconvenience.

According to the preparations outlined by the Delhi government, more than 1,400 Chhath ghats are being readied across the Capital, with instructions to complete essential infrastructure and facilities by November 6. Large and medium-sized ghats will have tents, dedicated praying sites and stages. Separate toilet facilities and changing rooms are also being arranged for women, while basic amenities will be made available across all ghats within the stipulated deadline.

The sanitation arrangements are expected to continue throughout the festival, with a 24-hour cleaning mechanism planned at the ghats. Cleaning operations will be undertaken before and after the morning and evening arghya (prayer ritual), while larger dustbins and regular garbage collection arrangements are being put in place. Roads leading to the ghats are also being repaired, with water sprinkling and machinery to be deployed to control dust, government officials involved in the exercise told the Sunday Guardian.

Security and public convenience form another major component of the preparations. The government has outlined plans for adequate lighting along roads leading to the ghats, CCTV surveillance at prominent and crowded locations, and the deployment of fire tenders near major ghats. Security personnel, emergency assistance facilities and designated parking arrangements are also part of the proposed arrangements.