Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to provide devotees free access to identified spaces and ponds around Chhath ghats on the Yamuna floodplain, public spaces and parks, according to a DDA statement issued on Friday.
Sandhu reviewed the authority’s preparedness for the festival and instructed officials to clean and improve the sites before handing them over to devotees. The DDA said the identified spaces and ponds must be thoroughly cleaned and spruced up ahead of Chhath Puja.
The Lieutenant Governor also directed officials to ensure adequate lighting at all locations. The instruction covers sites being prepared for the festival and is intended to support arrangements for devotees using the ghats and associated public spaces.
The DDA said allotment of the spaces should be conducted transparently. Local requirements, past usage and demand from people observing Chhath Puja are to be considered, particularly among communities from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The directions place the DDA at the centre of the city’s arrangements for the festival, while requiring coordination with other Delhi government departments and civic agencies. Sandhu specifically asked the authority to work with the Delhi Jal Board and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
The DDA has also been instructed to deploy staff at the sites to facilitate arrangements and assist devotees during the festival. The deployment is expected to support on-ground coordination as the spaces and ponds are prepared for use.
The directions extend beyond the festival period. The DDA was asked to ensure that the sites are cleaned and restored after Chhath, making post-event maintenance part of the official preparations. The instruction is significant for public spaces along the Yamuna floodplain and in parks, where temporary festival use has to be followed by restoration.
The statement did not specify the total number of sites, ponds or ghats covered by the arrangements, nor did it provide a timeline for completing the cleaning, lighting and handover work. It also did not disclose the staffing numbers or the detailed coordination plan among the DDA, DJB and MCD.
The DDA’s preparations will therefore involve both the allocation of public spaces before the festival and their upkeep after the celebrations, with the authority expected to proceed in coordination with the identified government departments and civic agencies.
