The after-effects of cyclone Phailin are threatening to hit preparations for Chhath after washing out two days of Durga Puja.

Chhath is on November 6-9 this year. The administration was supposed to start identifying the ghats where the rituals of the largest festival of the state could be performed safely and cleaning them up immediately after Durga Puja. Though Puja ended on Monday, the preparations have not started yet because the rain caused by Phailin has led to a spate in the Ganga and most of the ghats are flooded.

Senior officers of the district administration were supposed to meet this week to ascertain which ghats were dangerous. But the meeting has been postponed to the next week as their initial plans have gone kaput.

A senior administrative officer said: “The meeting was supposed to be held right after Durga Puja. The water in the Ganga had receded and additional divisional magistrates and sub-divisional officers had been asked to visit the ghats and assess the condition. But heavy rain on Sunday and Monday led to the rise in water level of the Ganga again.”

He added that as the ghats were flooded, they could not be inspected. “Hence, the meeting, which was supposed to be held this week, has been postponed to the next week.”

The cyclone made landfall on coastal Odisha on Saturday night. It turned northeast and became a low-pressure zone over Jharkhand, leading to heavy rain over Bihar on Sunday and Monday — the last two days of Durga Puja. According to the Met department records, around 163.4mm rain was recorded on Navami and Dashami.

The official added that the two days of rain was unlikely to affect the Chhath preparations significantly. But it has surely disturbed the plans of the district administration.

“For instance, at Collectorate Ghat, the administration had decided to build a pontoon bridge so that devotees could go to a patch of water on the sand bars and perform the Chhath rituals. Now, a decision on whether the bridge can be laid or not can be taken only after the water recedes,” said a source.

At other ghats, too, the rising water level has spoilt the well-laid plans. The administration had decided that Chhath rituals would not be allowed at Adalat Ghat on Ashok Rajpath without proper precautions to prevent a rerun of the tragedy last year, when a stampede led to the death of 18 people.

“But now, the administration will have to rethink on whether the rituals would be allowed at the ghat at all,” said the source.

Administrative officials, however, claimed that the festival was still a fortnight away and the preparations would be completed on time. Pehli Arghya and Doosri Arghya — the two days on which devotees throng the ghats to pay obeisance to the Sun God — are on November 8 and 9, respectively.

Residents, however, are not convinced.

Sarita Gupta, 42, a resident of the Fhulauri Gali near the Patna City Chowk area, said the fresh rains and the gloomy weather worried her.

“It takes a lot of time for the water level in the Ganga to recede. The rainfall did not help the situation either. We are hopeful that the district administration will take extra precaution to ensure the safety of people. They can dig temporary ponds if the ghats are too slippery or dangerous,” she said.

Their fears are not unfounded. The ghats are already slippery with mud and slush. A fresh bout of rain can lead to more challenges for the administration.

The authorities concerned assured that they would leave no stone unturned to ensure a safe Chhath for residents.

An official said: “The ghats are always slippery and things worsen after a fresh spell of downpour. It takes time to ensure that the ghats are safe. But we are doing everything we can to ensure that the ghats are ready before the festival.”

For instance, at Bhadra Ghat, which is flooded, the administration made an alternative arrangement for immersion of Durga idols on Tuesday. “Once all the ghats are scrutinised, the administration would come out with a list of which ones are safe and which are not. Proper care would be taken to ensure the safety of the people,” said the official.

What facilities do you expect at the ghats during Chhath? Tell ttbihar@abp.in