Saran Marine Drive: Planned 10–12 km Riverfront and Highway from Manjhi to Tajpur

The news

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday announced a Marine Drive from Manjhi to Tajpur in Saran district, along the Ghaghra River. The proposed riverfront and highway, expected to be 10–12 km long, is intended to improve connectivity for surrounding villages. The announcement was made during a visit to Manjhi, where the CM also inaugurated Ramghat, Atal Dwar and a Chhath ghat, and unveiled a statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The CM gave a positive assurance on a request to connect the planned stretch to the existing road from Raghopur to Aami Temple, which was built on the Marine Drive model. He said he would instruct the relevant officials. Separately, Choudhary directed authorities to keep a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team stationed round the clock at Manjhi, citing the area's history of floods and drowning incidents. The SDRF deployment is intended to speed up relief and rescue in emergencies.

What is the Bihar SDRF and when was it formed?

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is a specialised unit raised by state governments under the guidance of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to respond to disasters. The NDMA was established through the Disaster Management Act, 2005, which was enacted after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The Act mandated the creation of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and allowed states to constitute their own SDRF battalions. The SDRF is trained and equipped to handle natural and man-made calamities, including floods, building collapses, and drowning incidents.

What is the existing road and how may it connect?

A road from Raghopur to Aami Temple, built on the Marine Drive model, already exists in the area. The CM gave a positive assurance on a request to extend this road to connect with the proposed Manjhi–Tajpur stretch. He said he would instruct relevant officials, but no timeline or detailed plan has been announced yet.

What other developments were announced at Manjhi?

The CM inaugurated Ramghat, Atal Dwar and a Chhath ghat at Manjhi, and unveiled a statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the bank of the Saryu River. The state government plans to hold annual programmes there on Vajpayee's birth and death anniversaries. Choudhary also visited the late Dalan Singh High School, where he inspected laboratories developed under the Kayakalp campaign.

What did the CM say about the 2001–02 special package for Bihar?

Choudhary recalled that when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister, the then Bihar Chief Minister (Rabri Devi) had sought a special package. Vajpayee gave ₹4,000 crore at a time when Bihar's budget was only ₹6,000 crore. The CM claimed that not a single rupee of that amount was spent until Nitish Kumar became Chief Minister in 2005, after which it was utilised.