Ahmedabad police have inspected security and traffic arrangements at the Indira Bridge Chhath Puja ghat, while Surat has prepared facilities at more than 18 ghats ahead of the festival, with organisers expecting up to 30,000 devotees at Dabholi ghat.
The Ahmedabad Police Commissioner and senior police officials visited the Indira Bridge site on November 14 to review arrangements for devotees. The inspection covered the ghat area, traffic movement, vehicle parking, riverfront barricading, closed-circuit television monitoring and the wider security deployment, according to a report by Nav Gujarat Samay – Ahmedabad.
Officials present at the site were given instructions on managing the arrangements during the celebrations. The inspection is intended to support the movement of devotees and vehicles at a location expected to draw large crowds for Chhath Puja.
In Surat, the Surat Municipal Corporation and local organisers have jointly arranged facilities at more than 18 ghats across the city. The preparations include coordination between the civic administration, police, fire brigade and health department for security, cleanliness and public services during the festival.
Dabholi ghat is expected to be the largest gathering point among the locations mentioned in the report. Aditya Upadhyay, coordinator of the Bihar Vikas Parishad’s Ved Road branch, said the organisation has been holding Chhath Puja at Dabholi ghat since 2006. This year marks the 20th year of the event at the location, he said.
Organisers expect between 25,000 and 30,000 devotees to visit Dabholi ghat. To support the arrangements, between 150 and 200 volunteers will remain on duty during the worship programme, assisting with crowd management and devotee services.
The Surat Police, fire brigade and the municipal health department are also carrying out continuous inspections at the ghats, the report said. Their responsibilities include monitoring safety conditions, cleanliness and emergency preparedness at sites where devotees will gather near the water.
The preparations in both cities reflect the operational demands of conducting large religious gatherings in public spaces. Traffic control, parking, barricading, surveillance, fire response, sanitation and coordination between government agencies and volunteer groups are being handled as part of the event arrangements.
The Ahmedabad inspection and Surat’s multi-agency preparations are taking place ahead of the scheduled Chhath Puja celebrations. Authorities and organisers are expected to continue monitoring the ghats and associated public facilities during the festival.
