45 parks, 63 ponds beingreadied for Chhath in city

Patna: To ensure smooth Chhath celebrations, the Patna district administration is going all out to provide alternative arrangements for devotees, or “vratis”, across the city. With a focus on convenience and safety, around 45 parks and 63 ponds are being readied, fully equipped with the necessary facilities. For those observing the festival at home, on apartment rooftops or in local parks, the administration will also supply sacred Ganga water.
“We will ensure that all administrative arrangements are in place at major ponds such as Kachhi Talab, Gardanibagh Pond, Manikchand Pond, Anisabad, BSAP-5 Pond and the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park lake. Similarly, key parks across the city, including Eco Park, Energy Park, Veer Kunwar Singh Park, Shivaji Park, Hardinge Park, Hanuman Nagar Park and S K Puri Park will be readied for Chhath festivities,” Patna district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh said.
In light of the upcoming Diwali and Chhath festivals, Singh announced the cancellation of all leave for district, sub-divisional and block-level officials from October 29 to November 8. “A large-scale deployment of magistrates is being done to maintain law and order across subdivisions. It is essential for officials at district headquarters and subdivisions to remain present at their posts to ensure public safety,” he said.
“In exceptional cases, officials must submit a formal application through their seniors and may only leave their headquarters after receiving approval from the collectorate,” Singh said.
In a special effort to cater to Chhath devotees, the administration will deliver Ganga water to various apartment complexes and societies via tankers. “Sacred Ganga water will be made available for those performing rituals from home, rooftops or parks so that they can observe the festival without any logistical hurdles,” a district administration communiqué said.
Patna municipal commissioner Animesh Kumar Parashar on Monday inspected the ghats in the Patliputra locality and held a meeting with the officials concerned.
“During the inspection, it was found that the approach roads for ghats 83, 88 and 93 have been fully completed. The completion of the approach roads will facilitate easy movement for the devotees. The construction work on the ghats will also be expedited. Vehicles can easily and directly access these ghats from Ashok Rajpath,” Parashar said.
He added that work was progressing well at Bans Ghat, Pahalwan Ghat and Collectorate Ghat. “Special attention is also being given to lighting and cleanliness at the ghats,” Parashar added.