Palamu administration stops illegal auction of Chhath ghats along Amanat River
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, November 12: The Palamu administration has stopped an alleged clandestine attempt by unscrupulous elements to temporarily auction…
The space earmarked for temporary auction as a Chhath Ghat was cleared of the alleged encroachment by vested interests in Palamu.
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, November 12: The Palamu administration has stopped an alleged clandestine attempt by unscrupulous elements to temporarily auction portions of the Amanat riverbank as Chhath Ghats, reportedly charging devotees between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 for small plots.
The alleged practice came to light after a youth who had paid Rs 3,000 for a Chhath Ghat exposed the arrangement. He has vowed to recover his money. His identity has been withheld for security reasons.
Satish Kumar, City Mission Manager of the Medininagar Municipal Corporation, said small portions of the riverbank, measuring about six feet by eight feet, were allegedly offered to devotees for Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000, depending on the size of the space.
Bamboo structures used to mark out riverbank plots
According to sources, the alleged modus operandi involved occupying portions of the riverbank by erecting bamboo poles and then offering the enclosed spaces to Chhath devotees for temporary use.
Municipal Corporation officials said the arrangement was presented as a facility offering devotees better seating space, room to place sugarcane stalks and earthen baskets, and proximity to clean water.
“This secret sale of a piece of the riverbank was being carried out under the cover of the promise of better seating facility for the Chhath devotees along with the positioning of the sugarcane stalks, earthen baskets and proximity to fresh and clean water etc”, said the municipal corporation officer.
Sources said the amount charged varied according to the size of the space and the willingness of devotees to pay. They described the alleged pricing practice with the expression, “Jaisi bhakti utna daam ghat ka” (the greater the devotion, the higher the price of the Chhath Ghat).
They further claimed that, had the alleged practice continued undetected, it could have generated between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, with relatively little expenditure on bamboo and labour.
Administration orders removal of bamboo structures
Circle Officer of Sadar Anchal Amardeep Walhotra said a similar clandestine trade in Chhath Ghats had allegedly taken place during the 2025 Chhath Puja but had gone unnoticed.
“In 2025 Chhath Puja there was this clandestine trading of ghats here also. But no one got any whiff of it then.”
“This 2026, the furtive bid to sell Chhath Ghats became exposed days before the start of the Puja.”
He said that, acting on the directions of Palamu Deputy Commissioner Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat, all bamboo structures erected to facilitate the alleged sale of spaces along the Amanat riverbank were dismantled. The administration also warned those involved against repeating such practices during the religious festival.
Quoting the Deputy Commissioner’s directive, Walhotra said, “Chhath Ghat is for public. It’s sale and purchase is prohibited. Anyone found violating this Chhath Ghat norm would be taken to task.”
Police said no case had been registered so far as they had not received a written complaint regarding the alleged sale of the riverbank spaces.
MP inspects Chhath Ghats, seeks facilities for devotees
Meanwhile, Palamu MP Vishnu Dayal Ram visited Chhath Ghats on Wednesday and reviewed preparations for the festival. He instructed officials to ensure proper access for devotees, adequate lighting and clean surroundings.
The MP also called for changing rooms at the ghats so that women and girls could change their clothes in privacy.
Medininagar Municipal Corporation City Commissioner Ranjit Lal briefed him on the cleanliness drive being carried out throughout the day in and around the Chhath Ghats.
Palamu’s extensive network of water bodies
Palamu has a large network of ponds and other water bodies used for Chhath Puja. According to India’s first Census of Water Bodies, conducted by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti in 2018-19 and made public in 2023, the district has 1,248 ponds and 5,681 other water bodies.
The census findings cited in the report indicate that around 92 per cent of these water bodies remain in use throughout the year. The remaining eight per cent are reportedly unusable, partly because Palamu is a rain-shadow and water-stressed district.
Sources said Chhath Puja is observed at almost every usable water body in the district, which also has several rivers and streams, including the Koel, Amanat, Auranga, Sone, Bataney and Jinjoi.
The four-day festival involves an approximately 36-hour waterless fast, making it a demanding religious observance, said Chhath devotee Shivender Singh.
Community practices during Chhath
The festival also brings changes to several community and commercial activities in the district.
Laxman Choudhury, a senior member of the fishermen’s community, said fishermen in Palamu stop fishing from Nahay Khay, the first day of Chhath, until late on the day of the morning Arghya.
A bird-meat seller named Ansari said sales of bird meat and goat meat decline by around 80 per cent during the four-day festival.
Sources also said Chhath devotees had appealed to pig owners to keep their animals confined during the festival, as stray pigs are considered a major nuisance at the ghats.
With the administration clearing the disputed spaces and municipal authorities reviewing arrangements, attention is now focused on ensuring that devotees can observe the festival safely and that public access to Chhath Ghats remains free from commercial exploitation.
