Bhagalpur: The proposed Ganga Marine Drive between Bhagalpur and Munger has cleared a major hurdle, with the Bihar government assuring that no homes will be demolished during construction. The assurance came after Sultanganj MLA Prof Lalit Narayan Mandal met chief minister Nitish Kumar to discuss concerns over the project’s site selection.
According to the MLA, a proposal to shift the Marine Drive alignment 40 metres towards the north was placed before the chief minister. The move, he said, would allow the ambitious riverfront road project to proceed without displacing local residents. Officials present at the meeting indicated that public interest would remain central to any final decision on the project’s design.
Prof Mandal said the revised site selection was aimed at ensuring that no family loses its home due to the construction of the Marine Drive. He added that he had also discussed the matter with Bihar’s chief secretary, Deepak Kumar, and Kapil Dev, additional chief secretary of the animal husbandry department. Senior officials, he said, had given clear assurances that rehabilitation concerns would be addressed and that no shelter would be uprooted.
The meeting also brought renewed attention to the proposed Pakki Seedhi Ghat in Sultanganj, envisioned on the lines of the Ganga riverfront model. The chief secretary has reportedly held discussions with finance department principal secretary Anand Kishor to expedite approvals and funding for the project.
Supporters of the Marine Drive and riverfront initiatives argue that they could transform the region’s economic prospects. Prof Mandal said the projects would boost tourism, strengthen the local economy and create employment opportunities. With the annual Shravan Mela drawing lakhs of pilgrims to Sultanganj, he added that construction of the Pakki Seedhi Ghat would begin before the festival, offering safer and more convenient access to the Ganga for devotees and Kanwariyas alike.
