Varanasi: A fortnight ahead of Shardiya Navratri, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) has gone into alert mode to spruce up the city and ensure civic arrangements are in place for Durga Puja celebrations.
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In view of the expected heavy footfall, he asked officials to complete arrangements for sanitation, street lighting, drinking water, drainage and road repairs before the celebrations begin.
Shardiya Navratri will begin on October 11, while the main Durga Puja celebrations in the city will start from Saptami. Sanitation and food inspectors will inspect pandal surroundings daily, ensure regular garbage lifting and prevent waste accumulation. Additional sanitation workers will be deployed, while lime and anti-larval spraying will be carried out to maintain hygiene and check mosquito breeding. Dustbins will also be placed near pandals. The street lighting department has been instructed to repair defunct lights along key routes used by devotees and around pandal sites to ensure there are no dark spots. The civil department will complete pothole repairs and patchwork on roads leading to the pandals. Jal Kal officials have been directed to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply and promptly resolve sewer-related complaints. In view of the possibility of rainfall during the festival, waterlogging-prone areas will be identified in advance. Drains and gully pits will be cleaned and pumping arrangements kept ready.