Neglected canals mar Chhath Puja preparations in Phagwara

As the festival of Chhath Puja approaches, beginning on October 25 and concluding on October 28, preparations are in full swing across Punjab, particularly in regions with large migrant populations from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The four-day festival, celebrated on the sixth day after Diwali, holds deep religious and cultural significance, as devotees worship the setting and rising sun for prosperity, fertility and family well-being.

Over the past decade, the steady migration of labourers from eastern states to Punjab’s industrial and agricultural hubs has reshaped the region’s cultural landscape. With over 45,000 devotees in Phagwara alone and nearly ten times that number in neighbouring cities such as Ludhiana, the observance of Chhath Puja has grown from small household rituals into grand community celebrations.

Traditionally, devotees perform rituals along rivers, ponds, and canals. However, a visit by The Tribune team to canal sites across Phagwara, Goraya, Banga, Nawanshahr, Hadiabad and Nakodar revealed worrying conditions — many canals were dry, while others were clogged with garbage and debris. The foul odour and unhygienic surroundings made several sites unfit for worship.

“A person cannot even stand near the canal in Phagwara because of the stench and the filth dumped by people,” lamented Shanti, a migrant devotee from Bihar.

Several canal stretches were also found encroached upon, with temporary structures and waste heaps occupying irrigation department land, despite repeated government directives to remove such encroachments.

When contacted, Phagwara Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr Akshita Gupta assured that the administration was taking immediate steps to address the issue. “Adequate arrangements for cleaning the canals and releasing water will be made well before the commencement of Chhath Puja celebrations,” she said.

Meanwhile, community groups such as the Chhath Puja Sewa Samiti approached former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Som Parkash, who took the initiative to fill canals by installing submersible pumps, ensuring devotees have access to water for rituals. SDO Water Supply & Sewerage Board Pardeep Chottani told The Tribune that water would be released just before the festival begins.

Phagwara Superintendent of Police Madhvi Sharma said that elaborate security arrangements had been made across all major ghats and canal banks to ensure a peaceful celebration. “Our teams will remain deployed round the clock to manage crowds, facilitate traffic movement, and maintain law and order during the celebrations,” she said.

The festival culminates on the fourth day when devotees assemble before dawn to offer Arghya to the rising sun, marking gratitude to the Sun God for life and sustenance.

Despite challenges such as pollution and poor water conditions, the unwavering faith of devotees continues to uphold the sanctity of this ancient festival, deeply rooted in the traditions of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and now firmly embedded in Punjab’s cultural fabric.