Nagar Nigam readies Varanasi ghats for Chhath with cleaning, lights and changing rooms

VARANASI: Varanasi Nagar Nigam has begun preparing the Ganga ghats and other places of worship for this week's Chhath festival, ordering special arrangements for cleaning, drinking water, lighting and safety in every zone of the city.

The measures matter to the many families who gather at the riverfront and at ponds and kunds to offer arghya to the setting and the rising sun. Silt on the steps, dark approach lanes and crowding are the usual difficulties, and the civic body's plan is aimed at exactly these.

What to expect at the ghats: zonal and sanitation staff have been told to clean all ghats and worship sites, remove silt and clear debris quickly, and keep entry, exit and connecting roads free of garbage. The Jalkal department is to provide clean drinking water and station water tankers at the major ghats. Streetlights and high-mast lights on the ghats and approach roads are being repaired, with temporary lighting added where needed. Changing rooms and mobile toilets are being installed, mainly for the convenience of women.

On safety, officials have been asked to check the depth of water near the ghats and other water bodies, mark risky spots, and put up barricades and warning signs so that worshippers and children do not step into deep water. Veterinary teams will keep stray animals away from the worship areas. The Municipal Commissioner has named an Additional Municipal Commissioner as nodal officer to see that all the work is finished on time.

Details are from Varanasi Nagar Nigam's instructions as reported by news agencies on 10 November.