Ranchi: With October rains filling dams, lakes and ponds to the brim, the state drinking water and sanitation department, Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) and district administration are taking care to protect Chhath devotees who would offer arghya on Thursday and Friday at water bodies from the risk of drowning.

While the district administration is deputing National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams at all major water bodies, RMC deputy mayor Sanjeev Vijayvargiya said ponds, lakes and dams that are more than 6 feet would have barricades where Hindi banners would warn people of danger. At least 200 banners with " Khatra, aage na jayen (Danger, don't go ahead)" will be put up.

Vijayvargiya said they were looking at water bodies between 7 feet and 39 feet in depth - Dhurwa Dam (also called Hatia Dam) in Dhurwa, Gonda Dam in Kanke, Hatania pond near Raj Bhavan, Ranchi Lake and Chadri pond near Shaheed Chowk, among others - where Chhath devotees would be alerted against risks.

Thousands of people turn up at these water bodies. Over 50,000 people turn up at Dhurwa Dam while Gonda Dam and Ranchi Lake see at least 40,000 persons each.

"Barricades would give people a safe puja zone at water bodies and act as a deterrent against drowning. Hindi banners would be an added safety check," Vijayvargiya said, adding some ponds suddenly turned dangerous.

"At Hatania pond, after a distance of 3 feet from the banks, the depth of water has suddenly becomes 12 feet from 4 feet. Similar is the situation at Chadri pond and Ranchi Lake with depths of 15 feet and 18 feet, respectively. Devotees should also take proper precautions and follow instructions of volunteers," Vijayvargiya said.

Executive engineer of drinking water and sanitation department Shashi Shekhar Singh, who takes care of Dhurwa Dam, supported deputy mayor Vijayvargiya. "Though entry inside waters is prohibited, only for the ritual, people are allowed to use dam up to a point," he said, adding he had restricted entry to the unsafe zone of the 39-feet deep reservoir. Singh's counterpart at Gonda Dam, Tapeshwar Choudhary, added barricades were being done at the reservoir whose maximum depth is 26 feet and two inches.

Dhurwa Dam Chhath Puja Sahyog Samiti functionary Narendra Singh alias Manager Singh, who is active in Chhath preparations, added they had also roped in 20 divers to assist the NDRF team.