Patna: Patna is preparing to celebrate Saraswati Puja with special care for cleanliness and the environment this year. The Patna Municipal Corporation has made detailed arrangements so that the festival does not harm the city’s rivers and water bodies. As part of this effort, the corporation has built seven artificial ponds at different ghats across the city. These ponds will be used for the immersion of idols and puja materials after the festival, instead of using the natural river or ponds.
The main aim behind this decision is to protect the Ganga and other water bodies from pollution. During festivals, a large number of idols, flowers, cloth, and other puja items are often thrown into rivers, which makes the water dirty and unsafe. By creating artificial ponds, the municipal corporation wants to make sure that religious traditions can be followed without damaging nature. People have been clearly told that immersing idols anywhere other than these ponds is not allowed, and fines will be imposed on those who break the rule.
These seven artificial ponds have been set up in all four zones of Patna so that people from every area can easily reach them. In the Bankipur zone, a pond has been prepared at Law College Ghat. In the Patliputra zone, ponds are available at Patipul Ghat and Minar Ghat. In the Azimabad zone, arrangements have been made at Ghat and Mittan Ghat. In Patna City zone, people can use the ponds at Kangan Ghat and Damrahi Ghat. All these places have been properly fenced and provided with lighting to ensure safety and smooth movement of people.
Municipal Commissioner Yashpal Meena has directed all zonal officers to make sure these rules are strictly followed. Teams from the municipal corporation will visit puja pandals during Saraswati Puja to check that everything is being done in a clean and orderly way. Puja committees and devotees have been requested to keep their surroundings clean, use separate bins for dry and wet waste, and avoid throwing garbage on the roads or into water bodies.
Along with this, the corporation will also run a special cleanliness drive during the festival. Awareness teams will be posted at the ghats to encourage people to celebrate a plastic-free Saraswati Puja. They will ask devotees not to use plastic bags, polythene, or other harmful materials. Through these steps, the Patna Municipal Corporation hopes that the festival will be joyful, safe, and also kind to the environment.
