To prevent the entry of devotees during the Chhath festival, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has ordered that all gates of Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar, two sprawling waterbodies in the city, will be closed for three days from October 26.
A KMDA official said on Saturday that due to the Chhath puja, the entry of people to the two waterbodies will be stopped from 10 am on October 26 till 7 pm on October 28.
"All 12 gates of the national lake Rabindra Sarobar and eight of Subhas Sarobar will be closed with adequate security personnel manning the gates," the official said.
'Lake Morning Walkers' guild Convenor and environmentalist S M Ghosh said, "As Rabindra Sarobar is already polluted with heavy metals so to avoid further pollution, KMDA has decided to close all the gates for three days, which we, the morning walkers, think is too much. One and half day was enough." "It would have been better if KMDA could declare a maximum of two days - full day on October 27 and till 12 noon on October 28," he said.
Ghosh further said there should not be any relaxation of the notice for any club located within the national lake premises during the stipulated period.
The six clubs in the compound of Rabindra Sarobar will remain closed from 4 pm on October 26 till October 28 noon.
While Chhath Puja is being celebrated over four days - from October 25-28 - the last two days' rituals are marked by 'Sandhya Arghya' and 'Usha Arghya' - prayers and offerings made to the setting sun and rising sun.
On October 27, there will be prayers and offerings made to the setting sun, which will be followed by Usha Arghya - concluding ritual with prayers to the rising sun on October 28, as the devotees will wade up to waist-deep level of a waterbody and perform the rituals.
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