Devotees brave polluted Yamuna in Capital to celebrate Chhath Puja

The third day of Chhath Puja saw thousands of devotees gather at various ghats in the Capital to perform the evening Sandhya Puja, offering prayers to the setting sun in a symbolic ritual. For many, it is the most significant day of the four-day festival, which is dedicated to worshipping the Sun God for health, prosperity and the fulfilment of wishes.

However, the celebrations in Delhi were marked not only by devotion but also by protests and political debates over inadequate preparations and the toxic condition of the Yamuna river.

‘Seek blessings from Sun god’

Chhath is a very special festival for us. We offer our prayers to the Sun God for good health and fulfilment of our wishes. It’s our way of showing gratitude and seeking blessings for our families. — A devotee

The Chhath Puja in Delhi is primarily celebrated by the Purvanchali community, and it holds immense cultural and religious significance. At Kalindi Kunj, one of the key Chhath ghats in the city, devotees stood in the polluted, foam-covered waters of the Yamuna, offering ‘arghya’ (water) to the setting sun. Despite the hazardous conditions, many devotees seemed undeterred by the toxic foam that blanketed the river.

A devotee at the Kalindi Kunj ghat said, “Chhath is a very special festival for us. We offer our prayers to the Sun God at both sunrise and sunset for good health and fulfilment of our wishes. We fast for three days, and on the fourth day, we break our fast after the morning puja. It’s our way of showing gratitude and seeking blessings for our families.” Another devotee echoed similar sentiments, saying, “This is the most important festival for us, and we are filled with immense joy when we perform the rituals and offer our prayers.”

In response to the rising number of Chhath devotees, the Delhi Government set up around 1,000 artificial ghats across the Capital, hoping to facilitate the smooth celebration of the festival. These artificial ghats were supposed to serve as substitutes for the traditional riverbanks along the Yamuna. But not everyone was able to participate in the rituals without complications.

Meanwhile, in Geeta Colony, frustration and anger boiled over as devotees found themselves at dry ghats, with no water available to perform the Sandhya Arghya ritual. The artificial ponds that were supposed to be filled with water for the ritual were found to be empty, leading to chaos and protests.

“We came here with the hope of offering our prayers in the traditional way, but there is no water,” said a visibly upset devotee. “Why did the government create these ghats if they weren’t going to provide water? We could have done the rituals at home. But now, we’re being forced to protest,” he added. Another devotee said, “The sun is setting, and we’re running out of time. They should have informed us earlier so we could have filled tubs with water at home and done the puja there. This is an insult to us.”

BJP councillor Sandeep Kapoor was among those who condemned the government’s failure to deliver water to the ghats. “It’s the responsibility of the government to supply water to these ghats. Water didn’t arrive until 4.30 pm. I had to personally arrange for two tankers to fill the ponds, but even then, the amount of water was insufficient. The government has failed in its duty to ensure the smooth conduct of this important religious festival,” Kapoor said.

Political leaders from across party lines also took the opportunity to visit Chhath Puja celebrations and offer their wishes to the devotees. Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra participated in Chhath celebrations at several ghats, including those in Seemapuri, ITO and Hathi Ghat. Malhotra said, “Chhath is a collective festival that brings people together in a spirit of unity. It transcends all boundaries, and gives people the chance to worship nature and the Sun God without any discrimination of rich or poor.”

In addition to government officials, several BJP MPs also participated in the festivities. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva visited multiple ghats, offering prayers with the devotees. Other prominent leaders, including MPs Manoj Tiwari, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Bansuri Swaraj, Kamaljit Sehrawat and Yogender Chandolia, also visited various ghats.

On the other hand, Congress leaders seized the opportunity to criticise the government’s handling of the festival. Devender Yadav, president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, visited the Chhath Ghat at ITO and promised that if the Congress returned to power, they would improve the facilities at Chhath ghats. “The AAP government has failed to address the growing needs of the Purvanchali community, which has significantly increased in population over the past few years,” Yadav said. “Under the leadership of Sheila Dikshit, the Congress government ensured that clean water was provided to the Yamuna before Chhath Puja every year, but the current government has failed to address the toxic condition of the river,” he added.

Yadav also took aim at the current state of the Yamuna, which has become heavily polluted over the years due to untreated sewage and industrial waste. “The river is so toxic now that even standing near it is harmful to people’s health,” Yadav added.

To mitigate the risk of vector-borne diseases during the festival, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out extensive fogging operations at over 1,000 Chhath ghats across the city. The MCD also implemented anti-larval measures to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.

MC conducts fogging at 1,052 sites

• Delhi Government set up around 1,000 artificial ghats across the Capital
• To mitigate the risk of vector-borne diseases, the MC carried out fogging at over 1,000 Chhath ghats across the city
• The MCD also implemented anti-larval measures to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.