Patna City Readies 53 Ganga Ghats and 5 Artificial Ponds for Devotees Offering Arghya

With the sacred four-day Mahaparv of Chhath Puja approaching, the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has mobilized extensive civic machinery across the historic riverbanks of Patna City. Commencing ground-level sanitization and civil engineering operations on Saturday, October 24, 2026, administrative teams have initiated comprehensive restoration works across 53 prominent Ganga Ghats to ensure safe and hassle-free conditions for devotees offering Sandhya and Usha Arghya to the Sun God. A substantial decline in the Ganga River's monsoon water levels has exposed wide, stable, and flat riverfront banks, significantly accelerating shoreline remodeling. Complementing the natural riverfronts, civic authorities are constructing five strategically situated artificial ponds across densely populated urban wards, sparing elderly devotees and distant residential colonies the strenuous commute to the river.Dual Zonal Mobilization: Restoring 53 Ganga Ghats from Pathari to DidarganjCivil engineering crews and municipal sanitation brigades have launched coordinated earth-leveling drives across two primary administrative sectors:Extensive Coverage Across Azimabad Zone: Assistant Engineer Bhushan Kumar stated that 26 vital Ganga riverfronts stretching between Pathari Ghat and Keshavrai Ghat are undergoing active structural preparation, with dedicated tractor teams filling waterlogged swamps and marshy patches at Adarsh Ghat.Patna City Zonal Operations: Executive Officer Ashutosh Kumar confirmed that another cluster of 27 major and minor ghats—spanning from Hiranand Ghat all the way to Didarganj—will see complete silt removal, barricading, and approach-road development over the next forty-eight hours.Receding River Waters Accelerate Work: The timely drop in the Ganges' main stream has left expansive, solid riverbeds exposed along most ghats, allowing heavy machinery to safely level walking surfaces and install bamboo safety barricades inside water channels.Five Dedicated Artificial Ponds: Bringing Chhath Rituals Closer to NeighborhoodsTo alleviate severe pedestrian congestion along river approaches, the municipal administration is engineering five large-scale artificial ponds in key residential wards:Mangal Talab and Marufganj Facilities: Engineered water pools are being established inside historic Mangal Talab in Ward 66, alongside planned community water pits at Karmalichak in Ward 68 and Marufganj in Ward 69.Neighborhood Access in Ranipur Paijawa and Mehndiganj: Dedicated artificial water reservoirs are being excavated at Ranipur Paijawa in Ward 56 and Mehndiganj in Ward 61 to serve thousands of local households.Relief for Distant Localities: The establishment of neighborhood water tanks provides essential relief for families and elderly vratis residing far from the riverbank, eliminating the physical strain of navigating long distances during early morning rituals.Civic Infrastructure and Devotee Safety ProtocolsGround execution plans focus on strict safety, continuous lighting, and sanitation infrastructure across all designated sites:Swamp Remediation and Surface Grading: Construction teams are systematically spreading dry river sand and leveling clay over marshy stretches to prevent slips and foot injuries among barefoot devotees.Water Safety Barricades and Lighting: Danger zones in deep river currents are being marked with red flags and bamboo floating markers, supported by high-mast illumination towers and public address systems along all 53 ghats.Cleanliness and Changing Facilities: Mobile changing rooms for women, specialized dustbins for puja offerings, and round-the-clock municipal sanitation teams will remain deployed across both natural ghats and artificial ponds throughout the festive rituals.