The Bihar government has fast-tracked a ₹26.49-crore project to interconnect Darbhanga’s three iconic heritage ponds—Dighi, Harahi, and Gangasagar—through a navigable waterway, reviving the city’s centuries-old water heritage while boosting tourism and urban mobility. Announced by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during his recent Pragati Yatra, the initiative aims to transform the silted and fragmented water bodies into a continuous boating corridor that will allow tourists and locals to travel seamlessly between the ponds.

Work has already begun on dredging and deepening the ponds, constructing embankments, and building a 4.5-km canal network with small bridges and ghats. Officials from the Minor Water Resources Department told HT that the waterway will be wide enough for battery-operated boats carrying 10–15 passengers, with illuminated pathways, parks, and food plazas planned along the route. Once completed, visitors will be able to start from the historic Dighi Talab near Darbhanga Fort, glide past Harahi Pond, and reach the sprawling Gangasagar, famous for its Chhath Puja celebrations.

The project also includes rainwater harvesting structures and sewage treatment plants to ensure the ponds remain clean year-round, addressing decades of encroachment and pollution that had reduced water levels drastically. Local historians welcomed the move, noting that the ponds were once central to Mithila’s cultural and economic life, used for royal boating by the Darbhanga Raj and as community reservoirs during droughts.

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With Phase I expected to be completed by December 2026, authorities believe the waterway will put Darbhanga on Bihar’s tourism map alongside Bodh Gaya and Rajgir while easing traffic congestion in the congested city center by offering an alternative eco-friendly transport mode. Tenders for boating operations and waterfront development have already been floated, signalling rapid momentum in one of the state’s most ambitious urban renewal efforts.

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