Chhath Puja begins amidst restricted access to Yamuna

The Chhath Puja festival commenced with great fervour on Tuesday as devotees observed the traditional ‘Nahay Khay’ ritual. The four-day festival, celebrated primarily in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, is dedicated to the Sun God and involves elaborate rituals along riverbanks.

At Kalindi Kunj, devotees waded through the polluted Yamuna river, performing their rituals despite the thick toxic foam that covered the water surface. “It’s tough, but we have no choice but to bathe in this dirty water for Chhath. The government was responsible for cleaning the river, but no action seems to have been taken,” said Kirti Devi, a local resident. “Right now, we are at the ghat, and celebrating the festival is important keeping aside the cleanliness of the river,” she added. Meanwhile, at the ITO Yamuna ghat, a temporary Chhath ghat was set up with tubewell-supplied water and tents for devotees. However, access to the river has been restricted this year. Authorities installed 12-foot high railings to prevent people from entering the highly polluted waters.

“It’s crowded and the space is small. It was better when the puja used to take place in the Yamuna,” said Kamla, a local at the ITO ghat.

In a related incident, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva took a dip in the polluted Yamuna earlier this week and was subsequently hospitalised at RML Hospital after suffering rashes and itching on his body, underscoring the health risks posed by the river’s contamination.

As Chhath Puja celebrations continue, the state of the Yamuna remains a pressing issue for both devotees and authorities.