Haridwar gets facelift before Mahakumbh
Almost 70-85% of the budget allocated by the Centre is being spent on repair and maintenance
HARIDWAR: The upcoming Mahakumbh, scheduled from January to April 2021, is changing the face of the holy town of Haridwar. Held after a span of 12 years, the mega fair is awaited by pilgrims and seers on one hand, and on the other, it is ushering in development both on a permanent and temporary basis.
Almost 70-85% specific Kumbh budget, allocated by the Central government, is being spent on permanent nature work such as construction of bridges, Ganga ghats, roads, flyovers, expansion of Kumbh Mela zone area among others. Temporary works include setting up of temporary mela base camp at Bairagi Camp restricted Kumbh land for seers, Akhadas, religious organisation pontiffs and also for Kumbh mela administration personnel, in particular, Kumbh Force comprising Uttarakhand police and central para-military forces.
How Kumbh works are changing the face of Haridwar?
Digging work across the city for laying piped natural gas pipeline, underground electricity cable, sewer lines, broadening of national highway-58, construction of bridges over Ganga, flyovers, underpasses, railway line broadening is underway. All the work is supposed to be completed by December end, according to authorities. Haridwar gets a facelift due to Mahakumbh and Ardh Kumbh fairs, which are being held every 12 and six years respectively. During the previous Ardh Kumbh in 2016, a budget of ₹ 258 crores was earmarked for various development works. Prominent among them was the construction of four new bridges at Har-KiPauri, Chintamani Ashram, Laltarau and Jwalapur, providing easier connectivity of the city to both sides of the Ganga canal. Sewer connectivity in the past two Kumbh fairs has strengthened and this time it is being taken up across the municipal corporation wards and suburban Jwalapur to saint dominated clusters of Bhoopatwala-KhadkhadiNeel Dhara-Saptsarovar where temples ,ashrams, muths and dharamshalas are in abundance.
Haridwar, during Mahakumbh, will the first city in Uttarakhand to be free of hanging electric wires and poles as the underground power cable project is in the last phase. Also, over a 1,000 odd households have been connected with piped natural gas (PNG) making LPG cylinders a thing of the past.
Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) has been carrying out the project in Haridwar city and its expected to get complete in the coming months.
Comparison of 2010 with 2021 Mahakumbh
Initial assistance of ₹365 crores from Central government for Mahakumbh fair led to the start of multiple construction related works with major focus on permanent nature works.
During 2010 Mahakumbh, 3,310 metre of new Ganga ghats were constructed while this time five new Ganga ghats are being developed.
Similarly, one single major steel girder span bridge was built in 2010 Mahakumbh near British era Damkoti guesthouse on Mayapur regulator at a cost of ₹4.34 crore.
This time three major bridges are being built on Ganga river and canal. New Dhanauri bridge, at a cost of ₹ 6.8 crores will replace more than 150-year-old British era bridge, which is in a dilapidated condition and provides easier access and exit to Haridwar
city from Bhagwanpur-Kaliyar-Roorkee side.
The 2010 Kumbh also saw the construction of a two- storey parking lot opposite to HarKi-Pauri with a capacity of 800 vehicles.
At Jagjeetpur village near Matri Sadan ashram, a new bridge is being constructed at a cost of ₹5.52 crore, providing connectivity to Bairagi Kumbh camp area with Kankhal. Within a kilometre span, the third bridge is being built at Dakshdeep-Bairagi camp stretch on Ganga canal by Public Work Department.
Temporary nature works such as setting up of tents for Akhadas, seers and in particular Mela force, state police and personnel of para military forces will begin by next month.
Also, in a first, this Mahakumbh will witness temples, ashrams, dharamshalas, hotels in Haridwar coloured in saffron and yellow.
“Single colour code will lend a unique and spiritual aura to Har-Ki-Pauri and core mela zone in Haridwar in sync with the religious aura of the pilgrim city during Mahakumbh,” said additional district magistrate, Kumbh Mela, Harbeer Singh.
Covid-19 pandemic plays dampener
When Kumbh mela related works commenced a year back, it was expected that the budget would cross the previous ₹ 655 crore sanctioned for 2010 Mahakumbh. But with the Covid-19 pandemic, both the budget and spread of multiple infrastructure related works were affected.
While before the Covid-19 pandemic, over 12 crore pilgrims and tourists were expected to participate in the Mahakumbh.
Now the state government will take a final decision on pilgrim number mid-February before the first Shahi Snaan (royal bath) on Maha Shivratri, which drew nearly four to five million devotees in 2010. In all, 8.5 crore pilgrims had arrived in 2010 Mahakumbh in Haridwar.
The apex body of Akhadas, the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad has also agreed to a restrictive Mahakumbh fair if the pandemic continues in February too.
“We want preparations do be done on a grand level but simultaneously we have apprised the Uttarakhand government and Kumbh mela administration that if need be, only two or five seers from each of 13 Akhadas will take the sacred Ganga dip during three Shahi Snaan in Mahakumbh. But we are hopeful that Covid containment will be done and the fair will be open for all,” said Akhada Parishad general secretary Mahant Hari Giri Maharaj.
With permanent nature works in the last phase, mela officials, saints, Akhada officebearers and local priests are mulling whether Mahakumbh 2021 will be grander affair than 2010 or due to Covid-19 restrictions it will be curtailed to a normal event.
Urban development minister
Madan Kaushik, who is also the Haridwar city legislator, pointed that the state government will take a final call on Kumbh fair guidelines in February-March taking into consideration Covid-19 spread. “As of now, mela administration is carrying out works keeping in mind a full-fledged Kumbh fair and there is some time before three Shahi Snaan,” said Kaushik.
“Currently, we are focusing on completing the Kumbh works that are of a permanent nature. Without proper infrastructure, the fair can’t be held properly. We have to utilise the Kumbh budget allocated by the government to the fullest. Later, after assessing the situation and government guidelines, we’ll formulate ways to hold the event in a manner that is safe for pilgrims and visitors,” said Lalit Narayan Mishra, additional district magistrate, Kumbh Mela.
BEFORE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, OVER 12 CRORE PILGRIMS WERE EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MAHAKUMBH. NOW THE STATE GOVT WILL TAKE A DECISION IN MID-FEBRUARY BEFORE THE FIRST SHAHI SNAAN