River Ganga gets a makeover in Bihar through riverfront project

The Ganga River Front Development along the banks of the mighty river in the State capital is a paradise for the residents, especially walkers and students.

The riverfront project entails the development of 5.7 km long and 15ft wide walkway along the 16 ghats in the city which will have amenities like decorative street lamps, public lavatories, 500 seating benches and green cover, built under the Namami Gange project of the National Mission for Clean Ganga.

"Patna is also very unique because there we have built a riverfront development along with the ghats. And you have a beautiful promenade where people walk around and perform yoga. Students from Patna University also visit the place to relax and study. It is a very good place for the public to visit," said Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General of NMCG.

"We have already built 16 ghats through this promenade, and of course, the Bihar government is also planning to come up with some more of them. A very big integrated riverfront development project is actually underway in Patna," he added.

For the residents of the city, the riverfront has become a recreational area and a cultural hub with cafes, studying rooms and Dolphin information centres. It also helps in spreading awareness about keeping the environment clean, especially preventing the disposal of untreated sewage into the river.

"This is an admirable work. It's a dream come true as we wanted this kind of development on the banks of the Ganga. We feel like we are living in a metropolitan city," said Sanjay Kumar Thakur, a visitor from Samastipur.

"I like coming here for a morning walk every day. Away from the city's hustle and bustle, we breathe fresh air while walking on the clean ghats," said Khusboo Thakur, a student.

The promenades also have decorative street lamps, public lavatories, seating benches and green cover.

A major attraction for the visitors is the magnificent Madhubani wall paintings along the walkway with messages related to keeping the river clean.

The Ganges is an essential part of life of people in Bihar. Some of the most important festivals and religious congregations are celebrated on its banks, where large number of devotees gather.

In Sonepur, a town in Bihar, located on the banks of the River Gandak and Ganges, many new ghats have been built under the NMCG programme. The town hosts the world's largest cattle fair and attracts lakhs of devotees who take a dip in the holy river every year.