Patna High Court orders regular desilting work in Ganga

PATNA: The Patna High Court today ordered regular desilting of the Ganga, which had moved five km away from the Patna town, but was dredged back to the original place acting on a high court directive.

The division bench of Chief Justice L Narasimha Reddy and Justice Anjana Mishra today directed Inland Waterways Authority of India that desilting should be done every year, to be monitored by the court, in order to ensure a regular flow of water near Patna.

The bench also ordered that dirt collected in and around the ghats from civil court to Digha stretch be cleaned.

The court order came after it suo motu took the matter following its attention drawn by the judge of the Patna civil court about widespread dirt strewn on the banks of the river on the Patna side.

During hearing, the court expressed surprise when told that a few persons were claiming title of land in the river bed and gave the direction that the encroachers go with their title claim to Patna District Magistrate.

Principal Additional Advocate General Lalit Kishore represented the state.

The Ganga had moved almost five km away from Patna town. The vast strech of land on the river bed was being used by people for cultivating crops. During festival times, particularly Chhath, devotees have great difficulty in going to the river.