Chhath preparations have accelerated across Ranchi and Bokaro, with civic and district authorities ordering cleaning, lighting, barricading and emergency measures at major ghats ahead of the festival.
Ranchi mayor Roshni Khalkho reviewed preparations at six ghats on Tuesday and directed Ranchi Municipal Corporation officials to complete pending civic work. The inspection covered Bans Talab, Nayak Chhath Talab, Chambodha Talab, Swarnarekha Chhath Ghat, Kamlu Talab and Power House Chhath Talab.
Khalkho met members of the respective puja committees during the inspection to assess local requirements and address concerns. Officials were instructed to continue cleaning the ghats and approach roads, install changing rooms for women devotees, strengthen barricades in deep-water areas and provide additional lighting wherever necessary.
The municipal officials were also asked to identify gaps, deploy staff and resources promptly, coordinate with puja committees and conduct regular inspections. The directions place the focus on both basic access infrastructure and safety arrangements at sites expected to receive large numbers of devotees.
In Bokaro, deputy commissioner Ajay Nath Jha and superintendent of police Nathu Singh Meena inspected major Chhath ghats in Chas and Bokaro Steel City amid concern over the slow pace of preparations. Their inspection covered Solagidih Lake, Surya Mandir Ghat in Sector 4, Jagannath Temple Ghat, Sector 9 cooling pond and Garga river Chhath Ghat.
At Solagidih Lake, Jha ordered the complete removal of water hyacinth and the deployment of additional workers. He also directed Bokaro Steel Plant management to complete delayed cleaning at the Sector 9 pond before Diwali. The instructions indicate that preparations involve coordination between civic authorities and other institutions managing or maintaining individual water bodies.
Officials in Bokaro were told to deploy trained divers, install barricades and safety balloons, arrange ambulances and establish mini control rooms. These measures are intended to provide emergency response capacity at the ghats, particularly at locations with deep water or other identified safety risks.
The inspections also reveal the administrative challenge involved in preparing festival sites: work must cover not only the water edges, but also approach roads, lighting, sanitation, changing facilities, crowd management and coordination with local puja committees. In Ranchi, the municipal corporation has been directed to monitor progress through repeated inspections, while Bokaro officials have set November 10 as the deadline for establishing mini control rooms and completing the specified safety arrangements.
The next phase of work will involve completing the pending cleaning and access improvements, deploying personnel and equipment, and reviewing whether the identified ghats have the required emergency and crowd-safety facilities before the festival.
