Puri, July 4: In a major decision aimed at maintaining cleanliness during the annual Rath Yatra, the Odisha government has prohibited the distribution of cooked food on Puri's Grand Road (Bada Danda) this year. Only dry food packets will be allowed to be distributed to devotees to ensure a hygienic environment during the world-famous festival.
The decision was taken at a review meeting on Rath Yatra preparations chaired by Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, Usha Padhee, at the Puri Circuit House on Friday.
With the Chief Minister scheduled to review the administrative preparedness in two days and the Rath Yatra just 10 days away, Padhee assessed the readiness of the Puri Municipal Corporation (PMC) and directed officials to ensure seamless civic management during the festival.
She instructed the authorities to focus on comprehensive sanitation measures, public toilet facilities, parking management, street lighting, and other essential civic amenities to provide a safe and clean environment for lakhs of devotees expected to visit Puri.
Officials informed the meeting that all drains across the city have been cleaned, including those along both sides of the Grand Road by the Jagruti Welfare Organisation. A total of 24 parking sites have been readied, while repair work on city roads, lanes, and potholes has been completed.
To prevent inconvenience caused by stray cattle, temporary cattle shelters have been arranged. Authorities have also identified 30 low-lying areas vulnerable to waterlogging and deployed high-capacity pump sets to ensure quick drainage in case of heavy rainfall during the festival.
The review meeting was attended by Puri Municipal Commissioner Sneha Arugula, Special Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department Binay Kumar Das, Additional Secretary Shubhananda Mahapatra, PKDA Secretary Dillip Kumar Maharana, Joint Secretary of the Puri Municipal Corporation Abhimanyu Behera, and other senior officials.
