Ahmedabad: Barely 12 hours before the jal yatra, which will mark the beginning of the preparations for the 148th Jagannath Rath Yatra, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) authorities found themselves in a fix. The historic Somnath Bhudar Ghat near Jamalpur, from where water of the Sabarmati is drawn for ritualistic bathing of the deities at the Jagannathji Temple, was found taken over by water hyacinth.It’s been barely two days since the riverbed was cleaned after being drained. Dredging machines were deployed at the spot to remove the invasive plant before dignitaries and hundreds of citizens arrive at the ghat at 8am on Wednesday.“Jal yatra takes place about a fortnight before the procession and formally heralds the start of the rath yatra rituals. Annually, the mayor, along with state dignitaries, the mahant of the temple, and the trustee, bring the water in pots to the temple and bathe the deities in a ritual,” said an official associated with the process. “It is possible that the dignitaries may take a boat to reach a better spot in the river to fetch water.” tnn