It will be a sea of faith on Tuesday and Wednesday as scores of devotees throng riverbanks and manmade water bodies to offer prayers to the setting and the rising sun.
More than 1,000 jawans of Jharkhand Armed Police and district police will maintain vigil near ghats. Cops in civil dress will also be deployed. Security will be supervised by a magistrate and an inspector-rank officer.
Entry of heavy vehicles, including long-distance buses, will be prohibited between 7am on Tuesday and 3pm on Wednesday. Buses will be allowed to drop passengers near Tatanagar station, Pardih roundabout and Dimna Chowk on NH33 in Mango.
Animesh Bisoee checks out five popular ghats out of around 30 that draw maximum Chhath crowd to offer us an idea of administrative preparedness for the annual festival
Bodhanwala Ghat
On Kharkai’s banks in Bistupur
Crowd count: Around 30,000 expected
Facilities
Lights installed by Jusco at the ghat and also on approach roads
Cleaning and levelling of ghat completed by Jusco; bleaching powder sprinkled
Changing stalls for women ready
NGOs to distribute puja paraphernalia on Kharkai Link Road
Safety measures
Medical team (from district health department) and ambulance (from a private hospital) to be on standby from Tuesday evening
Danger zones demarcated with red flags and ropes, courtesy JNAC
Local swimmers and divers to be deployed
Subernarekha Ghat
In Sakchi
Crowd count: 100,000
Facilities
Halogen lamps installed by Jusco
Cleaning, levelling of ghat done; bleaching powder treatment completed
Changing stalls for women ready
More than 15 NGOs will distribute puja paraphernalia on Subernarekha Link Road and
MGM-Mango Road
Safety measures
CCTV cameras to be installed by district police on Tuesday morning
Medical team and ambulance on standby
Rescue team with paddle boats and lifesaving gear to be deployed
Danger zones demarcated by red flags and ropes
Additional deployment of police and civil defence personnel
Domuhani Ghat
Confluence of Subernarekha and Kharkai in Sonari
Crowd count: 100,000-plus
Facilities
Halogen lamps installed by Jusco
Jusco and JNAC have finished cleaning/levelling ghat
Changing stalls for women ready
NGOs to distribute puja items on Marine Drive and Sonari-
Domuhani Road
Safety measures
CCTV cameras to be installed by district police on Tuesday morning
Medical team and ambulance on standby
Rescue team with paddle boats and lifesaving gear to be deployed
Danger zones demarcated by red flags and ropes
Additional deployment of police and civil defence personnel
Surya Mandir
Sidhgora
Crowd count: Nearly 30,000
Facilities
Guard rails have been erected for the convenience of elderly devotees
Fresh water from Jusco tankers to fill up the artificial reservoir
Temple committee has distributed puja paraphernalia for free among more than 1,000 poor devotees
Safety measures
Medical camp to be set up by Tuesday afternoon; ambulance will be on standby
20 fire extinguishers are being kept handy; over 40 CCTV cameras and two drones to keep vigil
Star quotient: Bollywood singer Suresh Wadkar to perform on Tuesday evening
Pandey Ghat
On Subernarekha’s banks in Bhuiyandih
Crowd count: 30,000-plus
Facilities
Levelling of approach road undertaken on a massive scale by JNAC; bleaching powder used to sanitise puddles
Halogen lights installed by Jusco
Puja items to be distributed by NGOs on Bhuiyandih Main Road and Hume Pipe Road
Safety measures
Danger zones demarcated
Local fishermen to be deployed for rescue work
Ambulance on standby; health camp to be set up on approach road.
Role model: CM Raghubar Das inaugurates a park named after him in Baridih, Jamshedpur, on Monday. The Rs 94-lakh green lung sprawls over 2.5 acres and boasts a 304-metre jogging track. It has slides, benches and 10 toilets, five each for men and women. “This is a park for the underprivileged. More such parks will come up,” Das said. He also opened three Chhath ghats in the city. Picture by Bhola Prasad
