Patna: Patna is set to enter the new year with the launch of four major civic projects, as work on key urban amenities reaches its final stages under the city’s ongoing redevelopment drive.
Officials said the projects — being executed by Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCO) and Patna Smart City Limited — will be inaugurated after the end of Kharmas, a period considered inauspicious in the Hindu calendar. The developments include commercial shops along the JP Ganga Path, a new riverside promenade, a state-of-the-art crematorium at Bans Ghat and the opening of the Mandiri drain for vehicular traffic.
Preparations are under way for the first phase of commercial activity along the JP Ganga Path, where around 250 shops are being installed between Digha Golambar and Kurji. Pre-fabricated units are being placed in a phased manner, and officials said a list of eligible vendors is being finalised. The shops, which will be allotted after Kharmas, are being designed with motifs reflecting Bihar’s cultural heritage.
Alongside this, Patna Smart City Limited has completed the construction of the Zig-Zag Park, a 550-metre-long promenade on the JP Ganga Path extending up to LCT Ghat. Built using cemented bricks in a zig-zag pattern, the promenade features benches, street lighting and open walking spaces. Work is also progressing on a longer walkway connecting Kurji to the bridge leading towards Gandhi Maidan.
Another key project nearing completion is Bihar’s first modern crematorium at Bans Ghat. Built by BUIDCO under the Patna Smart City initiative at a cost of about Rs 89.40 crore, the facility is expected to offer modern and dignified amenities once inaugurated, easing pressure on existing cremation grounds in the city.
Urban mobility is also set to improve with the opening of the Mandiri drain to traffic. The 1,289-metre-long project, constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 87 crore, involves a twin-barrel reinforced cement concrete (RCC) box drain designed to strengthen the city’s drainage system while allowing vehicles to pass overhead. Officials said slab casting and finishing work is in its final stages, and the route is expected to become operational in January.
