In a revised circular issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over Chhath Puja, BMC has now stated that it will bear the cost of artificial ponds and also take care of their disposal at ward level.
In an earlier order, BMC stepped back from making artificial ponds and instead asked the organisers of Chhath Puja to bear the cost for which it faced backlash from both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party.
Criticizing BMC's earlier order, BJP leader and MLA Ram Kadam had slammed Shiv Sena and said, "The Shivsena which is ruling BMC and is a coalition partner in ruing Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), has forgotten Hindutva and the party is having problems with all the Hindu festival. It has to withdraw its decision." The Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) Chief Bhai Jagtap had also demanded the withdrawal of the decision and said, "There are lakhs of North Indian people who are in Mumbai, most of them are from lower-middle-class family and poor families and they would not be able to make artificial ponds and dispose of it. It is the responsiblity of BMC to get it done themselves as they did in Ganpati Visarjan and Navratri." Also, the Mumbai Congress delegation had met the BMC Commissioner IAS Iqbal Chahal, following which the BMC changed its decision later in the evening.
Meanwhile, the other guidelines of BMC on Chhath Puja celebrations have barred crowds and devotees at seashores and beaches. BMC has also asked Mumbai police to prevent crowding at beaches.
Further, in open space, 200 people are allowed to perform Chhath Puja, whereas, in indoor space, a maximum of 100 was allowed.
The guidelines also make it mandatory to conduct Antigen and RT-PCR testing at puja sites.
