Delhi Chhath preparations at the capital’s ghats are to be completed by the evening of November 13, with officials directed to give special attention to facilities at sites in east Delhi ahead of the festival from November 14 to 16.
Delhi BJP president and Union minister Harsh Malhotra inspected preparations at ITO on November 9 with Delhi government spokesperson and Laxmi Nagar MLA Abhay Verma and former Delhi BJP Purvanchal Morcha president Santosh Ojha. During the inspection, Malhotra directed officials to ensure that arrangements at all Chhath ghats were completed within the stated deadline.
The preparations include arrangements at ghats across the capital, with particular focus on facilities in east Delhi. Malhotra said Chhath is both a festival of faith and nature worship, and highlighted the importance of cleanliness at the sites. He also praised beautification work connected with the festival on the walls of the ghat inspected at ITO.
Malhotra appealed to all political parties not to hold protests or demonstrations between November 14 and 16. He said such activities could inconvenience women observing the fast and other devotees during the festival period.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Purvanchal Morcha, along with its women’s and youth wings, will deploy workers as service volunteers at Chhath ghats, according to Malhotra. The volunteers are expected to assist devotees and support the operation of arrangements at the sites.
Abhay Verma said Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was monitoring preparations for Chhath and that efforts were being made to provide devotees with necessary facilities. He also said an effort was being made to develop all ghats in the Laxmi Nagar Assembly constituency as model ghats this year.
The preparations place sanitation, access and on-site coordination at the centre of the city’s arrangements for a festival that draws large gatherings to riverbanks, ponds and temporary public spaces. The authorities’ immediate deadline is November 13, before devotees begin observing the festival’s key activities from November 14. The service volunteers are scheduled to remain deployed at the ghats during the festival period.
