Chhath Puja: Civic body to set up 47 temporary ghats, Lake out of bounds

kolkata: Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has started readying infrastructure at 47 ghats spread across the city for performing Chhath Puja rituals on October 30 and 31 with both Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar being kept out of bounds for the Puja.

A meeting was held at Unnayan Bhavan with all stakeholders to ensure the observance of Chhath rituals smoothly. Representatives from the Bihari Samaj, Kolkata Police, Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, Kolkata Municipal Corporation attended the meeting.

Among the 9-10 permanent ghats, six are located at two locations in Nonadanga near Fortis Hospital off Kasba – EM Bypass connector, two in Patuli area and another near Ramdhan Park at Golf Garden Road in Tollygunge.

Both Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar are under the glare of the National Green Tribunal due to pollution issues. The temporary ghats have been developed to ensure that the Bihari Samaj need not travel far from their respective homes for performing the Puja rituals. There will be facilities of bio-toilets, police assistance booth, changing room for women, lighting arrangements and drinking water facilities.

Wooden or ply platforms will be set up at the temporary ghats and arrangements will be such that the Chhath puja revellers cannot go beyond chest-deep water to ensure safety. There will be sufficient police deployment and all the gates leading to Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar will be closed. Barricades will be set up at the probable places where boundary walls can be breached to reach upto the two waterbodies. KMDA will soon start distributing pamphlets with locations of the ghats for observing Chhath rituals. There will be two tableaus with miking facilities for spreading awareness about the ghats developed by KMDA. "We will also have arrangements of transport facilities to take Chhath Puja devotees to the nearest ghat, if by chance, they come to Rabindra Sarobar," a KMDA official said.

KMC will also make arrangements for some more temporary ghats and a meeting will be held on Wednesday.