BMC revises Chhath Puja norms, agrees to bear construction cost of artificial ponds

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday, November 8, maintained in a revised circular that it will take the responsibility of constructing artificial ponds for devotees to celebrate Chhath Puja in the city. The civic body has further assured taking care of the disposal of ponds at ward levels.

BMC in an earlier order had stepped back from constructing artificial ponds and had instead asked organisers of Chhath Puja to bear the cost, leading to the civic body receiving huge repercussions from both Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

'Shiv Sena-led MVA government forgetting Hindutva' says BJP Leader

Censure the BMC's earlier move, BJP leader and MLA Ram Kadam lambasted the Shiv Sena-led MVA government for "forgetting Hindutva".
"The Shiv Sena which is ruling BMC and is a coalition partner in the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadhi (MVA), has forgotten Hindutva and the party is having problems with all the Hindu festivals. It has to withdraw its decision." Kadam said.

On the same line, Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) Chief Bhai Jagtap too had opposed the BMC's move and demanded the withdrawal of the decision.

"There are lakhs of North Indian people who are in Mumbai, most of them are from lower-middle-class families and poor families. They would not be able to make artificial ponds and dispose of them. It is the responsibility of the BMC to get it done themselves as they did in Ganpati Visarjan and Navratri," Jagtap had said.

Moreover, the Mumbai Congress committee had held talks with BMC Commissioner IAS Iqbal Chahal, following which the BMC changed its previous resolution later in the evening.

No mass gathering at seafronts says BMC

Mass gatherings at seafronts in Mumbai will not be allowed for the forthcoming Chhath Puja festival in a bid to prevent the anticipated third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the city civic body said on Monday.
The Shiv Sena-controlled civic body, which is going to polls early next year, has asked the police department to ensure that there won't be mass gatherings at seafronts for Chhath Puja, performed mainly by the people from Bihar to propitiate the Sun god, which will be celebrated on November 10 and 11.

Further, the BMC has allowed only 200 people to perform the Puja in open space. Whereas in indoor space, a maximum gathering of 100 individuals is allowed. The BMC guidelines make it mandatory to conduct Antigen and RT-PCR testing at Puja sites.

Inputs: ANI

Image: PTI/ANI