Varanasi: With just 12 days left for the proposed Indian Air Force air show, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation has intensified efforts to clear flood silt from platforms and steps at the ghats along the Ganga, preparing them for use as audience galleries. District administration and police officials are monitoring the day-to-day progress of preparations.
As floodwaters receded, municipal commissioner Himanshu Nagpal assigned officers to supervise cleaning at all 85 ghats, from Adikeshav Ghat to Ravidas Ghat and Ramghat.
Officials must submit progress reports within three days, Nagpal said, warning that laxity in cleaning would invite strict action. He said the plans should cover all entry and exit routes, crowd control, barricading, parking, drop-off zones, VVIP access, and traffic diversions on key roads and at major crossings. The ghats have been divided into zones and clusters, with supervisory and nodal officers directed to inspect their allotted stretches daily and share geotagged photographs in the officers’ group. Additional municipal commissioners Durgesh Kumar Mishra, Vinod Kumar Gupta and Pawan Kumar Gupta, assistant municipal commissioner Anil Yadav, zonal officers, and health and sanitation officials have been assigned specific responsibilities. The removed silt will be transported immediately to designated disposal sites instead of being left on the ghats, ensuring the safe movement of devotees and tourists. The area will be divided into zones and sectors, with temporary police posts on both banks of the Ganga and at important locations. Adequate police personnel and resources will be kept ready to handle emergencies, while sensitive points will be covered by police deployment, barricades and CCTV surveillance.
Meanwhile, police commissioner Mohit Agarwal reviewed security and traffic arrangements at a meeting with gazetted officers on Friday evening.