District magistrate Kumar Ravi expressed satisfaction with arrangements in and around the ghats on Saturday a day before Chhath, Bihar’s biggest festival, takes off.

The four-day festival starts with Nahay Khay on Sunday. The Patna district administration has made all possible arrangements with Patna Municipal Corporation, the building construction and other departments.

On Saturday evening, Ravi and other district officials visited the major ghats in the city, where devotees perform the Chhath rituals in huge numbers, for final inspection.

“After the inspection, I am happy to see that barring little, most of the work is complete at the ghats. I just came back after checking the lighting arrangements. All signs will be installed by Sunday. Devotees need not worry about anything — the district administration and police will always be at their service,” Ravi told The Telegraph after the inspection around 7-7.30pm.

Of 102 ghats in city, 80 have been marked safe and the rest declared dangerous.

Changing rooms, watchtowers, toilets, public address system, urinals and adequate power supply are all in place at the ghats in use. Most of the ghats have been barricaded for the devotees to perform the rituals. In some areas, including Collectorate Ghat, the watch towers are equipped to video-record for better coverage. For better control on criminals lurking around the riverbanks, the district administration as a precaution has banned crackers.

Work in progress at Kali Ghat. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

A district control room has been set up at all the ghats too.

On the safety measures adopted, district magistrate Ravi said: “Total 76 boats of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), besides necessary equipment including deep divers, are on duty at different places along the Ganga. Around 300 NDRF and SDRF jawans will also be on duty for safety of devotees.”

Ravi said the district administration has banned boats from plying on the Ganga for the next four days. He also urged the devotees to use the Chhath Puja Patna app for information. Extra features like child tracker — in case children go missing at any ghat — has been added, he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Ravi, senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaaj and deputy inspector-general (central range) Rajesh Kumar made a joint briefing to police and magistrates to be deputed at Bapu Sabhagar.

Residents have been urged to contact the district control room (0612-2219810) in case of emergencies, rumour-mongering and help.

Maharaaj said 12 quick response teams have been formed to tackle emergencies, including traffic. He said 2,000 additional forces have been put into service for the festival with six temporary police stations opened at Patipul Ghat, 93 Ghat, Bans Ghat, Mahendru Ghat, Collectorate Ghat and NIT Ghat.

In other arrangements, health minister Mangal Pandey said 91 medical camps will be set up at the Patna ghats and 32 ambulances stationed there, adding that at least 20 types of medicines will be available at the camps.

He said all government medical college and hospitals and private hospitals had been asked to be on alert for the four days of Chhath.