The Yamuna is ready for Chhath Pooja, said Arvind Kejriwal’s party in a big update, just hours after Delhi Minister Atishi said toxic foam on the river will be cleared in the next one or two days.
Chhath Puja is celebrated six days after Diwali, and is mainly observed in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh
The four-day festival, in which devotees fast and offer ‘arghya’ to the Sun God on the last two days, will begin on November 17. People gather at ghats to offer prayers.
“This is how Yamuna is looking right now after Defoaming by Delhi Govt. Yamuna is ready for Chhath Pooja,” said the Aam Aadmi Party on X.
This is how Yamuna is looking right now after Defoaming by Delhi Govt.
✅ Yamuna is ready for Chhath Pooja. pic.twitter.com/mIVXqt3JgS
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) November 16, 2023
While a large number of devotees living in Delhi-NCR, converge to the banks of Yamuna to offer ‘arghya’ every year, the pollution and frothing in the river often pose risks for them.
The opposition BJP and the ruling AAP have been taking swipes at each other over the state of Yamuna ahead of the big festival.
The BJP flagged heavy pollution in the Yamuna river and accused the AAP of hurting religious sentiments of people.
Delhi BJP’s Purvanchal Morcha president Neeraj Tiwari alleged that despite an announcement by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) mayor to provide financial assistance to Chhath committees, no money was provided to them for preparations.
The AAP controls the MCD.
Earlier on Tuesday, Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said more than 900 ghats have been prepared for the upcoming Chhath festival and tents, light, sound and other facilities will be provided for devotees.