Ahead of Chhath Puja, the Delhi government inaugurated an 11-kilometre-long ghat along the Munak Canal in north Delhi on Thursday, November 12, 2026, calling it the “country’s longest Chhath ghat.”
Inaugurated jointly by BJP National President Nitin Nabin and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta—in the presence of Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra and Delhi cabinet ministers—the facility forms the centerpiece of a broader ₹115.29-crore redevelopment project aimed at transforming the neglected canal stretch into a dedicated religious and recreational hub for thousands of devotees, particularly from the Purvanchal and Bihar communities.
Munak Canal Redevelopment & Public Amenities
Spanning nearly 5.5 km along both banks from the Outer Ring Road to the Najafgarh drain confluence near Inderlok Metro station (creating 11 km of combined ghat frontage), the project is designed to host between 32,000 and 33,000 visitors at a time:
- Phased Ghat Construction: Officials confirmed that a 3-km stretch in the Shalimar Bagh assembly constituency has been completed, while work on an adjacent 2.5-km stretch in Wazirpur is underway.
- Year-Round Cultural Hub: Equipped with stepped embankments, lighting, landscaped parks, boundary walls, and parking facilities, the space will also host Durga Puja, Ganesh Puja, and daily recreational activities.
- Bridges & Road Connectivity: The Chhath ghat is one of seven major infrastructure works along the corridor, including bank-side inspection roads (62% complete between Outer Ring Road and Prembari Bridge), a double-lane bridge near Singalpur village (88% complete), another double-lane bridge near Haiderpur, and a proposed six-lane bridge linking Singalpur and Pitampura.
Leaders Hail Purvanchali Contribution; 77 Subsidised Buses Launched for Bihar
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta pledged that Chhath celebrations in the capital would be “grander and more divine this year,” while Nitin Nabin highlighted the Purvanchal community’s pivotal role in Delhi’s growth.
- Special Festival Bus Fleet: Separately, the Delhi and Bihar governments have rolled out 77 buses from Anand Vihar ISBT to help devotees travel home affordably for Chhath Puja, offering fare subsidies ranging from ₹134 to ₹1,028.
- Routes & Reduced Fares: Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh stated that initial services connect five divisions in Bihar—Muzaffarpur (36 buses), Patna (13), Purnea (12), Gaya (10), and Darbhanga (6)—bringing Delhi–Patna non-AC seater fares down from ₹1,615 to ₹1,221 and AC seater fares from ₹1,980 to ₹1,361.
