KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, Nov 8: Though the civic bodies in the steel city and Adityapur in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district cleaned up Chhat ghats along the Subernarekha and Kharkai rivers, many devotees are organising the Chhath Puja at home.
Scores of devotees are going to hold the sacred Puja at their homes because they are still in fear of Coronavirus which continues to make its presence felt in Jamshedpur and Adityapur.
Those who have pledged to perform the strenuous Puja at home have constructed artificial water-bodies either on their residential premises or on the rooftop of their house for the Chhath Puja, abandoning the age-old practice to perform the Puja at the river ghat.
“It is the second consecutive year when we are going to organise the Chhath Puja at our house instead of the river ghat along Subernarekha, the main reason being we do not want to take risk of getting infected with Coronavirus by going over to the crowded place,” said Satya Narayan Mishra, a resident of Mango.
Mishra who is a retired government high school teacher said they are aware that the Chhath ghats were properly cleaned this year by the Mango civic body and the water level in the Subernarekha is moderate, but despite the positive ambiance, they decided to hold the Puja at home.
Like Satya Narayan Mishra, many others are to hold the Chhath Puja at their homes as the killer virus is yet to be eliminated from the region.
Though only one Coronavirus positive case was detected in Jamshedpur during the past 24 hours here, the health department is implementing Covid-19 protocol strictly in view of the four-day-long Chhath which has already begun from today.
On Saturday, two Coronavirus-positive cases were found in the city, and the day earlier six cases of the virus were detected here.
“Coronavirus is still in our city. Those aspiring to perform Chhath Puja in river ghats should participate in the Puja ritual keeping Covid protocol in mind, ” said Sahir Pall, district disease surveillance officer.
Over three lakhs devotees turn up at the river ghats along the Subernarekha and Kharkai during the Chhat Puja in the steel city and the adjoining Adityapur.
