Urban development and housing minister Samrat Choudhary (centre) with elected representatives and officials during the meet at the conference hall of Bihar State Housing Board in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Devotees performing Chhath rituals at ponds or lakes in the city would not feel absence of the holy Ganga water this time.

Authorities would use tankers to take water from the Ganga and pour it in the ponds so as to keep the “sacred nature of the ritual” intact.

Those going to the ghats can also expect a safe exit this time as top officials as well as urban development and housing department minister Samrat Choudhary would monitor their departure after the rituals for at least an hour.

Choudhary issued such directives at a review meeting on Chhath preparedness works in Patna on Tuesday, which involved participation from most elected representative including the MPs, MLAs and MLCs from the city.

“Officials and all other elected representatives monitoring the Chhath ghats would not leave at least one hour after the arghya. Closed-circuit television cameras would be installed at the ghats and we would review the ghats a day after Diwali. Also, we would take the Ganga water in takers and mix it in the talabs where many people offer arghya,” said Choudhary.

Pataliputra MP Ram Kripal Yadav emphasised on monitoring of the deployment of forces at the ghats. “Even during the Ravan Vadh stampede, it was observed that the forces deployed at Gandhi Maidan were not monitored properly. We should take lessons from the tragic incident and monitor the exit points carefully,” said Yadav.

BJP MLA from Bankipore Nitin Navin iterated on development of watchtowers at the ghats to ensure maximum vigil. Ratnesh Kumar, a representative of Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha, raised the issue of dangerous iron rods posing threat to devotees at Law College Ghat, Bhadra Ghat and Kataiya Ghat.

Another member of Patna Mahanagar unit of the JDU raised the issue of encroachment of the approach road at the ghats. “It was due to the encroachment of the already narrow approach road at Adalat Ghat, which led to stampede on November 19, 2012. The encroachment menace can be found at several other ghats as well,” said the JDU leader.

Patna mayor Afzal Imam raised the issue of proper payment to Chhath samitis for lighting at the ghats, replying to which, minister Choudhary iterated that there would not be any issue in release of funds to Patna Municipal Corporation in this regard.