CM Nitish Kumar, today inaugurated, by cutting a ribbon and unveiling a plaque, the permanent protective construction work on the right bank and rejuvenation of the old stream of river Ganga near Sadi Ghat in Bakhtiyarpur block of Patna district. On this occasion, he participated in the Ganga Aarti and offered prayers. Locals expressed their gratitude to the Chief Minister and raised slogans in his support after seeing the development of the staircase ghat and the old stream of the Ganga flowing again.
“A lot of good work has been done here. Now with the restoration of the old stream of the Ganga and the development of the ghat, the devotees will get great convenience. He said that as a child, he used to come here every day to bathe in the Ganges, but in the last few years, the current of the Ganges had gone away from the staircase ghat, which has now been brought back.
After the inauguration, the Chief Minister inspected the protective and beautification works on the right bank of the Ganga channel near the ghat. At a cost of about ₹63.54 crore, several facilities have been developed in the ghat area, including 330-metre-long stairs, anti-erosion work in 2100 metres, pathways for tourists, toilets, changing rooms, landscaping and lighting. It attracts a large number of tourists and pilgrims.
The ancient Sadi Ghat temple of Bakhtiyarpur has been a centre of folk faith, where the river Ganga used to flow nearby. Over time, the river’s current moved away, making religious activities difficult. In view of this, the government has revived the dying stream of Ganga by desilting the 4420 meter length from Ghansurpur to Dedaur. 34.27 crore has been spent on this, along with protective work by pitching geobag slopes at 1520 meters to prevent possible erosion. The plan also includes maintenance of the channel for three years.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister offered prayers at Shri Radhe Krishna Mandir, prayed for the prosperity and peace of the state and paid floral tributes at the samadhi of freedom fighter Pandit Shilbhadra Yaji and his wife late Balkeshwari Yaji.
Prominent among present occasion included Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Santosh Kumar Malla, Secretary to Chief Minister Kumar Ravi, Patna Commissioner Dr. Chandrashekhar Singh, District Magistrate Dr. Thiagarajan SM, SSP Kartikey K. Sharma and other senior officers and dignitaries.