Preparations begin for Rath Yatra in Ranchi

Ranchi: The district administration has begun groundworks for the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Dhurwa. With the festival less than six weeks away, Ranchi deputy commissioner (DC) Manjunath Bhajantri, at a meeting earlier this week, asked all departments to complete infrastructure and safety-related works in time.

The focus of the administration is on crowd management, emergency response, sanitation, drinking water supply, power infrastructure and traffic regulation at key congregation points, he said. “Public convenience, safety and efficient coordination should remain our priorities,” Bhajantri said.

Sudhanshu Nath Shahdeo, the priest at Jagannath Temple in Dhurwa, said Snan Yatra will be held on June 29, followed by Netradan on July 15. “Rath Yatra will be held on July 16 and Bahuda Yatra on July 25,” he said. Thousands of devotees from Ranchi across the neighbouring districts gather for the festival every year.

The district health department was directed to keep medical teams equipped with essential medicines, stretchers and emergency support facilities ready during peak congregation days. Instructions were also issued for deployment of magistrates, police personnel and medical teams in overlapping shifts to ensure uninterrupted monitoring and response.

To prevent accidents, the power department has been asked to ensure uninterrupted and safe electricity supply, conduct safety audits and maintain round-the-clock personnel deployment during major events. Civic authorities were directed to repair streetlights, improve sanitation, arrange drinking water facilities and deploy mobile toilets at designated locations.