Boat rides will be available at Rajdhani Vatika from Tuesday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, March 21: This Bihar Divas, the city residents would get a cool gift — boating facility at Rajdhani Vatika, the park near the Old Secretariat.

Five boats would be pressed into service in the pond sprawling over an acre in the southern part of the park. Three of them would be four-seaters. Two boats would have seating capacity of two each.

At present, the boating facility is available in the city only at Patna zoo.

A half-an-hour sail on a four-seater boat at Rajdhani Vatika would cost Rs 60. A ride on a two-seater boat for the same duration would come for Rs 50.

Don’t bother if you want to enjoy boating without knowing swimming. A diver would be on duty near the pond to handle emergency situations.

“Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi would dedicate this new facility to public on the occasion of Bihar Divas on Tuesday,” Patna divisional forest officer (DFO) Surendra Singh told The Telegraph.

The forest department is the custodian of the Rajdhani Vatika. Modi, who also holds the portfolio of forests and environment department, would inaugurate the mist chamber at the park.

It would allow nurturing of seedlings in the existing nursery of the vatika (garden) in optimum conditions. The temperature and the humidity of the mist chamber, set up on an area of 1,500sqft, can be controlled to suit the seedlings being reared in a nursery.

The Patna DFO said several other initiatives were being taken to make the vatika a better place for visitors.

The 2-km-long jogging track has been strengthened.

A platform for those willing to do their yoga sessions in the greens of the park has been built.

“We are developing a cafeteria in the northern section of the park. Ten bamboo sheds would be added for the comfort of the visitors soon,” Singh said.

Besides inaugurating the new facilities at Rajdhani Vatika, Modi would also unveil a fountain near the pond of Patna zoo on the occasion of Bihar Divas.

“The fountain has been set up to beautify the spot, one of the most favourite ones among the visitors coming to the zoo,” Patna zoo director Abhay Kumar said.