Ranchi: With Chaiti Chhath underway and ‘sandhya argha’ scheduled for Tuesday, city authorities on Monday inspected key ponds and ghats where devotees will perform rituals.At prominent sites such as Bada Talab (Vivekananda Sarovar), Tetartoli and Divyayan ponds, officials reviewed cleanliness, lighting arrangements and access routes. While sanitation levels were found largely satisfactory, directions were issued to sustain and intensify cleaning operations throughout the festival period. Use of bleaching powder and alum is being scaled up to maintain water hygiene and minimise health risks for devotees.“We aim to ensure that all ghats provide a clean, safe and well-lit environment to devotees during Chaiti Chhath, with continuous monitoring and timely action by all teams,” said Sushant Gaurav, administrator of Ranchi Muncipal Corporation.Safety measures have been prioritised, with instructions for barricading deep water zones, installing adequate lighting at ghats and setting up temporary changing rooms for devotees. Entry points and approach roads are also being cleaned, with water sprinkled to manage dust and facilitate smoother crowd movement during peak hours.Authorities have also initiated action against unauthorised commercial activities around Bada Talab to reduce congestion and improve access.Across the city, nearly 100 temporary changing rooms are being installed near 26 ponds. Around 1,200 sanitation workers have been deployed, while lighting systems at major ghats are being repaired and upgraded for early morning and evening rituals.In an official statement, RMC said, “Extensive arrangements have been made at all major ghats, including cleanliness drives, lighting restoration and deployment of manpower to ensure a hygienic and secure environment for devotees throughout the festival period.”
