Ahead of the four-day Chhath Puja celebrations across Bihar, the state administration has imposed a comprehensive ban on bursting firecrackers near riverbanks (ghats) and prohibited the operation of private boats on major water bodies, including the Ganga.
Announced by Bihar and district authorities to protect millions of devotees gathering from 13 to 16 November, the directive aims to prevent crowd stampedes, fatal capsizing accidents, and toxic air and noise pollution during the rituals. While environmentalists, safety personnel, and disaster response teams have welcomed the stringent safety clampdown, local boatmen have expressed concern regarding the loss of their seasonal livelihoods, prompting officials to deploy State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel for regulated water patrol duties.
Directives and Ground Measures
Under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), district administrations of Bihar across sensitive stretches—most notably in Patna, where more than 100 ghats line the riverfront—have mandated round-the-clock surveillance to enforce the prohibitions.
Bihar Authorities highlighted that unauthorized, overcrowded private country boats pose severe drowning risks during peak early morning and evening arghya offerings to the Sun God. A senior district administration official of Bihar noted, “The priority remains the absolute safety and dignity of the devotees. Bursting crackers in heavily congested ghats creates immediate stampede hazards, while unregulated private vessels risk tragic capsizing. Only authorized patrolling vessels, disaster response boats, and medical teams will be permitted on the waters.” To accommodate the massive influx of worshippers, barricading in deep water zones, public address systems, lighting, watchtowers, and coordination desks with local Chhath puja committees have been instituted across all designated ghats.
Why Precaution Is Crucial
Chhath Puja, an ancient celebration dedicated to the Sun God (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya, sees monumental footfalls of devotees and their families converging along riverbanks in deep faith and communal devotion.
However, the history of riverbank festivities in Bihar has witnessed harrowing lapses; devastating stampedes triggered by rumors and panic, alongside boat-capsize incidents, have historically claimed innocent lives during festive gatherings. Furthermore, in the immediate wake of Diwali, regional Air Quality Index (AQI) levels typically plunge into the “poor” and “very poor” brackets across northern India. Unregulated firecracker use at open riverfronts not only aggravates toxic smoke and respiratory distress for fasting devotees (vratis) and children, but the toxic chemical residues also contaminate the river ecosystems central to these sacred rituals. The government’s preventive restrictions reflect a concerted attempt to transition from reactive disaster management to proactive community safeguards.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Faith finds its most authentic expression when rooted in compassion, mutual care, and the preservation of our shared natural environment. Chhath Puja is inherently a tribute to nature—honouring the life-giving sun, the flowing rivers, and the soil that nurtures us—making it all the more essential that our reverence does not translate into poisoned air, river pollution, or hazardous chaos.
While the administration’s restrictions are necessary life-saving safeguards, governance must never operate in a vacuum of empathy; the authorities must also ensure fair, immediate compensation or alternative engagement for the traditional boatmen whose honest seasonal income is disrupted by these bans. Collective harmony and safety are collective responsibilities that require both citizen discipline and compassionate governance.
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