Even in Chaite Chhath, the pollution of the Sirsia River did not go away

'The river is flowing nearby, but we were not able to stand in the river and perform religious rituals, what could be a bigger tragedy than this?', she said, 'If black water flows in the Sirsia river even on the day of Chhath festival, when will we expect that the Sirsia river will be free from pollution? '

Local 65-year-old Harinarayan Sah, who was found at the ghat, said that he also saw Chhath Vratalu performing puja in a plastic pond at Sirsia ghat for the first time. "This is also a terrible record," he said.

Meghnath Sarraf, another local, said that he was shocked to see the plastic pool at Chhath Ghat. "The industrialists who polluted the Sirsia river did not show ethics this time," he said, "In the past years, the pollution of the river was stopped for a few days during both Kattiki and Chaite, but this time neither the industrialists showed ethics, nor the local administration could bring them under the scope of action." '

Prakash Tharu, a social activist, said that the industries responsible for polluting the Sirsia river have been extremely negligent this time. "On the day of Chhath festival, the fasting people stand in the river and give argha to the setting and rising sun. It is believed that the skin disease of those who take this fast will be cured," he said, "but there is a belief that the fasting person standing in the Sirsia river and giving argha will get skin disease instead.

Secretary of Sirsia Bachau Sangharsh Samiti Vrijeshwar Chaudhary said that even during the Chhath festival, Sirsia river was not polluted and the religious beliefs of the devotees were played with. "This year is over," he said, "we waited until the last moment that the river would be pollution-free, but our hope was met with frost, and we were forced to make an artificial plastic pond at Ranighat to make the Vratalu comfortable."

There are more than 2 dozen chhath ghats in Sirsia river in Parsa and Bara alone. Ghadi and other ponds alone cannot handle the pressure of devotees. Some devotees have been using the Sirsia river ghat as a traditional Chhath ghat. But even on Chaite Chhath this year, the devotees are angry after the industries of the Parsa Bara industrial corridor did not stop dumping chemicals and polluted residues from their industries in the river. There is a black sediment in the water of the river. The stench coming from the river is bothering the fasting people. At other ghats of the Sirsia river, devotees are forced to perform Chhath Puja in the polluted river.

More than 2 dozen industries of Parsa Bara Industrial Corridor are dumping the waste from their industries in this river, the river has become very polluted. Most of the industries are leather producing industries. Efforts have been made to make the river pollution-free for almost a decade and a half, but the industry has been blocking it. Recently, the efforts made by the Birganj Municipal Corporation office have not been effective.

The fasting people ate Rasyau roti at home on Saturday evening under the Kharna method of Chaite Chhath. They will complete this year's Chaite Chhath festival by observing a strict fast without water and fasting throughout the day on Sunday and offering prayers to the setting sun and the rising sun on Monday morning.

Devotees celebrate this festival by offering coconuts, bananas, ginger etc. to the rising and setting sun in a bamboo bowl. From three days before the festival, the fasting people eat food 'nahakhay', khir rasya cooked from milk and jaggery and roti. On the day of the festival, the fasting person breaks the fast by eating prasad only after offering arghya to the rising sun the next day.

In Terai, there are more fasting people on Katike Chhath than on Chaite Chhath. In the last few years, the number of people observing Chaite Chhath has also increased. Some people who take vows observe Chaite Chhath. There is a religious belief that if you fast on Chhath, you will not get skin diseases, you will have a son, you will have good luck, you will have happiness and prosperity in your family, and the members of your family will be protected from possible accidents.

This is the only such puja in Hinduism, in which the setting sun is worshiped and in this puja people from all communities participate very devoutly.