Patna stinks as Durga Puja begins
City fest-ers
Though the most revered Durga Puja began here on Wednesday with traditional fervour and gaiety, heavy downpour and heaps of garbage strewn around the streets have dampened the festive spirit.
As Wednesday witnessed some respite from rain, hordes of devotees made a beeline for temples and mutts to pay their obeisance in the beginning of “Navratra”.
What worries the people in Patna is the heaps of garbage littered on the main thoroughfares of the city. People are forced to inhale the obnoxious odour emanating from the garbage that has not been carted away for days following the suspension of the service of A2Z Infrastructure Ltd. The agency, which has been vested with the responsibility to clear garbage from various parts of the state capital, stopped work after the state government failed to clear its dues worth crores.
“For the last fortnight, garbage is lying unattended. Rain has worsened the situation,” rues Raj Kishore, a senior citizen at SK Nagar. “Though the Patna Municipal Corporation officials have been apprised of the problem, no action has been taken yet,” said another resident RK Sharma. Meanwhile, after rain took a break on Wednesday, hectic preparations started on a war-footing to install the best idols of Goddess Durga.
Sculptors from Kolkata have been hired by some puja samitis to erect idols. Small traders, who have set up shops for selling flowers, garlands, coconut, ghee, thread, honey, incense sticks, earthen pots are, however, having a good time this festive season.
