Yamuna ghats ready for a grand, safe Chhath Puja: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday assured devotees of a memorable Chhath festival this year, claiming that extensive preparations have been done for Purvanchal brothers and sisters at all Yamuna ghats from Palla to Kalindi.

In a video message posted on X, Chief Minister Gupta said: “After many years, our brothers and sisters will be able to worship the Sun on the banks of Yamuna Ji and offer Arghya to the Sun. We have made extensive preparations… Heartiest best wishes to all of you. I pray to Chhathi Maiya that her blessings remain upon us all like this.”

Earlier, Art and Culture Minister Kapil Mishra, along with BJP Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva, visited several Chhath Ghats across Delhi to review the arrangements and inspect preparations.

He inspected arrangements at Mayur Vihar Ghat, Ashok Nagar, Kondli, and Trilokpuri. Later, he visited Vasudev Ghat, where CM Gupta was also present.

Together, they reviewed the status of cleanliness, lighting, safety, tent installation, water levels, and traffic management. The Minister also inspected several other ghats, including Sonia Vihar.

Mishra stated that there is an extraordinary enthusiasm for Chhath Puja across Delhi this year.

He informed that the Delhi Government has ensured all necessary facilities at more than 1,300 Chhath Ghats this year. Officials from the administration, municipal bodies, Jal Board, police, and sanitation departments are continuously stationed at the ghats to ensure that devotees face no inconvenience.

The Minister said that this year, the Delhi government has paid special attention to the cleaning and beautification of the Yamuna riverbanks and ghats.

Every ghat has been equipped with adequate lighting, safety measures, drainage facilities, and medical teams deployed by the Health Department. Local representatives, councillors, officials, and volunteer organizations were also present during the inspection.

Mishra personally assessed the quality of cleaning and tent arrangements and interacted with devotees to gather feedback on the facilities.

Later, while speaking to the media, Mishra said that for many years, the previous government had imposed a ban on performing Chhath Puja on the Yamuna banks. Devotees who went to perform the rituals were even booked under false cases.

“But now, times have changed. This year, grand celebrations are being held on the banks of river Yamuna. This is not only a symbol of faith but also proof of the positive transformation and cleanliness achieved at the ghats,” he said.

He added that this year, Chhath Puja in Delhi is being celebrated on a historic scale. “The Aam Aadmi Party is protesting over the cleanliness of the Yamuna today, but they themselves were in power for 11 years. We’ve been in government for just 7 months, and what they couldn’t do in over a decade, we’ve accomplished in this short time. The transformation along the Yamuna is visible for all to see. This change reflects the devotion and hard work of the people of Delhi,” he said.

--IANS

rch/pgh