The tardy pace of cleanliness work at ponds, tanks and riverbanks by the civic body has cast a shadow over Chhath rituals.

Devotees are in doubt of whether the civic body would complete work before October 29. Civic officials, however, blamed lack of resources for the delay.

Mayor Gauri Paswan said: “Hotels in the station market area discharge dirty water in to the Harahi tank in absence of a drainage system.”

The mayor added: “Despite inadequate resources, we are carrying out sanitation work on the banks. We have two days in hand and we would complete the work. We would also sprinkle bleaching powder at each ghat.”

Rambag resident Gauri Shankar Roy said: “The civic body has limited resources but also lacks willpower. Devotees inspect ghats two days earlier but finding those littered with garbage, they lose confidence. They prefer to build temporary water bodies on their premises.”

District magistrate Kumar Ravi said: “Use of crackers at ghats has been banned for Chhath. Anyone found guilty would be punished under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. People have been advised not to be swayed by rumours.”

Laxmi Sagar resident Rajkumar Ganeshan said: “Cleaning work is not complete at any ghat and the civic body would try to complete it in a hurry. Residents have to take the initiative. Each year, the district administration claims to complete cleaning work but it does so in a rush leaving the work incomplete.”