A boat anchored at a submerged Sangam ghat Prayagraj: The slow receding of the water levels of both Ganga and Yamuna here at Sangam city has emerged as a grave concern for the Magh Mela preparations. The vast land of the proposed mela area, which will form the tent city from Jan 14 onwards, is still submerged in flood water.The water level is currently receding by only around 1-2 cm every four hours on average, leaving the administration with limited time to prepare the vast sandy expanse before the fair.This mela administration can begin major ground work only after the water completely recedes from the proposed mela area. Work for putting up different facilities in the proposed nine sectors of the mela area can only start after the land is levelled. Following this, the authorities will start laying roads and chequered plates, developing bathing ghats and arranging sector-wise camps and other facilities. Any further delay in the recession of the rivers could put pressure on the schedule for drying and preparing the land before construction begins.Deputy mela adhikari Vivek Shukla said preparations for other components of the Magh Mela 2027 had already begun. Once the water recedes completely from the mela area, the pace of work would have to be doubled to complete the arrangements on time.Meanwhile, in another important development, Prayagraj Municipal Corporation is preparing to give a facelift to 52 lanes and drainage systems across the city at a cost of around Rs 3 crore. The works will include construction of interlocking roads and construction and repair of drains in different wards, providing relief to residents facing damaged roads and poor drainage.The project gives priority to four zones in the expanded parts of the city, where waterlogging and muddy roads become a major problem during the monsoon. Naini zone accounts for the highest number of works, with 20 projects, followed by 10 each in zones four and eight, seven in zone six and six in zone seven.A road will also be constructed around the pond at Andhawa, along with barricading arrangements for idol immersion. The civic body has directed that all works at the immersion site be completed before Navratri.Municipal Corporation chief engineer Dinesh Kumar Sachan said tenders for all the works had already been issued and contractors would have to complete the projects within the stipulated deadline while maintaining quality.