Ranchi Municipal Corporation has deployed more than 1,200 sanitation workers and 25 special lighting teams across 72 Chhath ghats ahead of the festival scheduled for the second week of November, with the civic body also identifying deep-water stretches, installing safety barricades and expanding cleaning operations.
The Ranchi Municipal Corporation said in a statement issued on Monday that the ghats had been divided into eight zones. Officials have been assigned to monitor preparations in each zone and address problems at the locations. The arrangement places ground-level supervision alongside sanitation and infrastructure work at the water bodies expected to receive devotees.
Deep-water sections at major ghats are being identified and barricaded as part of the safety preparations, the civic body said. Four horticulture teams have also been deployed to prune hazardous tree branches and remove obstructions near water bodies.
Cleaning work has been intensified at the ghats and on approach roads. Workers are carrying out garbage removal, sweeping, grass cutting and the spraying of bleaching powder, according to the RMC. The civic body said mechanised cleaning was under way at several locations to speed up the work before the festival.
At Dhurwa Dam, weed-harvesting machines have been deployed to clear aquatic growth. Poc lain machines are carrying out desilting work at Swarnarekha Ghat in Namkum, while additional equipment has been pressed into service at other water bodies. These operations are intended to improve access and prepare the sites for the festival, the RMC said.
Lighting is another part of the preparations. The RMC electricity wing has started repairing faulty streetlights and providing additional illumination at the ghats and adjoining routes. The move covers both the festival sites and the approaches used by residents travelling to them.
The civic body has appealed to residents to report complaints, suggestions and issues related to Chhath arrangements through its 24×7 helpline, 1800-570-1235. Zonal officials, sanitation teams, lighting crews and horticulture staff will continue coordinating preparations at the 72 identified ghats before the festival.
