Bihar CM, deputy CM inspect ghats for Chhath festival

Patna:  Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi today separately inspected several ghats along the Ganga to take stock of the arrangements for the four-day Chhath festival beginning on October 24.

The chief minister inspected various Ganga ghats from Nasriganj in Danapur to Kangan ghat in Patna city on steamer and gave necessary directions to the officials to ensure safety, security and cleanliness at the ghats during the festival, a government release said.

The Chhath festival will end on October 27. Kumar directed officials of Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (BUIDCO) and Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) to construct approach roads leading to the ghats besides ensuring availability of power and cleanliness at the ghats, it said.

During the inspection at LCT ghat in Patna town, the chief minister asked officials to improve the condition of the steps and slopes leading to the ghat, the release said. He also directed officials to construct slopes at the ghats where steps were not available so that devotees would not have to face any problems in reaching the ghats.

The chief minister asked officials to erect barricades at Patipul ghat in view of the high level of water at the ghat, it said. During the inspection, Kumar was accompanied by ministers Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Nand Kishore Yadav, Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Director General of Police P K Thakur and other senior officials.

The deputy chief minister also inspected around six Ganga ghats where he reviewed arrangements such as lighting, barricading, safety and enclosure for women for changing clothes. Speaking on the facilities that would be available at the ghats during the festival, he said that around 120 teams of doctors will be available at the ghats along with 211 para medical staff besides 33 ambulances.

Water ambulances, NDRF and SDRF will be deployed besides putting 200 boats for river patrolling, Sushil Modi said in a release. In order to check the spread of any rumour, the administration has issued a mobile phone app in order to disseminate correct information among the devotees and other people visiting the ghats.