DDMA allows Chhath Puja celebrations at designated places amid strict COVID protocols

Chhath Puja

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Wednesday allowed devotees to perform Chhath Puja at designated spots in the national capital amid strict Covid protocols.

The DDMA, which devises Covid management policies for the capital, had banned Chhath Puja celebrations at public places, including at Yamuna riverbanks, water bodies and temples in Delhi, after a meeting on September 30.

The ban on Chhath celebrations had triggered protests by opposition parties the BJP and the Congress.

"The DDMA has allowed Chhath Puja celebrations in Delhi at designated spots. A limited number of people will be allowed to perform the puja amid strict Covid protocols,” Sisodia said at a press conference after a DDMA meeting.

"People are requested to follow all COVID-19 protocols and wear masks…"

The Covid situation is under control in Delhi but one has to remain careful, he said.

Amid protests by the BJP and the Congress against the Chhath Puja ban, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier this month urged Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to call a meeting of the DDMA to allow celebrations in public.

Chhath, celebrated after Diwali by people belonging to Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, involves the offering of 'Arghya' by fasting women to the Sun god in knee-deep water.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched a special COVID-19 vaccination drive in Burari’s Ibrahimpur village for devotees who will be observing fast on Chhath festival.

Puri was accompanied by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, the party’s Purvanchal face in the national capital.

Concentrated mostly in East Delhi, the Purvanchal community has a sizable number in the national capital and plays an important role in elections.