Extensive arrangements have been put in place by the district administration for the four-day Chhath Mahaparv, ensuring the safety and convenience of devotees and Chhathvratis across the capital. District Magistrate Dr Thyagarajan SM and Municipal Commissioner Yashpal Meena personally inspected major ghats along the Ganga till late Sunday evening to review preparations.
Officials said that around 550 ghats on the Ganga and its tributaries have been readied for the festival, in addition to several parks, permanent ponds, and temporary water bodies across the district. Within the Patna Municipal Corporation area alone, 102 ghats, 45 parks, and 63 ponds have been designated for the observance of rituals.
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To ensure the safety of devotees, the administration has deployed nine NDRF teams (277 personnel), nine SDRF teams (36 personnel), 444 divers, and 323 boats equipped with boatmen. Additionally, 149 Civil Defence volunteers have been assigned for crowd and disaster management. Continuous river patrols will be conducted, and the operation of unauthorised boats has been strictly prohibited. Violators will face punitive action.
The district administration has urged devotees to adhere to safety guidelines, avoid venturing into deep waters, and contact control rooms in case of emergencies. Assistance can be sought by calling 0612-2219810, 0612-2219234, or dialling 112.
Due to the narrow approach roads to Collectorate Ghat and Mahendru Ghat, only residents will be allowed to access these locations. Entry of all vehicles beyond Gandhi Maidan has been completely restricted, and visitors must proceed to the ghats on foot. The administration has advised devotees to prefer Digha Ghat in the west and Krishna Ghat in the east as safer, more spacious alternatives.
Apart from the Ganga ghats, arrangements have also been made at Patna Zoo lake and several temporary ghats in parks and ponds across the city. Major temporary locations include Kacchi Talab (Gardanibagh), Manikchand Talab (Anisabad), BMP-5 and BMP-10 ponds, Veterinary Campus, Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park lake, Adalatganj, Rajvanshi Nagar, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Talab, Congress Maidan Talab, and others.
Prominent parks where Chhath offerings (arghya) can be made include Punaichak Park, Kankarbagh Shivaji Park, Shaheed Kishore Kunal Park, Bhootnath Road Park, Rajendra Nagar Park No. 4/5, Shastrinagar CID Colony Park, and many more across the Kankarbagh and Patliputra areas.
To manage the expected rush of vehicles, parking facilities have been established near all major ghats. These include Rajapur Pul Ghat, Bans Ghat, Shahpur Ghat, Pipapul Ghat, Kurji Ghat, Collectorate and Mahendru Ghats, and several points along the JP Setu, Ganga Path, and Marine Drive. Large-capacity parking zones have been prepared inside Gandhi Maidan (2,700 vehicles), JP Setu flanks (up to 2,000 vehicles), and other designated spaces like Patna College ground, Science College campus, Danapur Tempo Stand, and Hathia Bagan.
Officials emphasised that all arrangements have been made to ensure a safe, peaceful, and well-organised celebration of this grand festival of faith, devotion, and cleanliness.