U’khand to send Ganga jal tankers to UP, Haryana

HARIDWAR: The Haridwar administration has decided to provide Ganga waters through tankers in neighbouring states to ensure that Lord Shiva devotees, known as Kanwariyas, get sacred Ganga water.

The move comes after the state government banned the Kanwar pilgrimage this year. Kanwar yatra is an annual pilgrimage of Shiva devotees to Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand to fetch Ganga waters which they take back to their respective areas to anoint Shiv lingas.

Haridwar district magistrate C Ravi Shankar sent a communique with respective district magistrates and deputy commissioners of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to send demand and place of distribution in their respective administrative areas so that arrangements can be made as per requirement for ferrying Ganga Jal to these places for Kanwariyas.

“Owing to Covid epidemic, Kanwar fair has been banned this year. But taking into consideration religious sentiments of Kanwariyas, arrangements will be made through tankers to ferry sacred Ganga water to the neighbouring states. As soon as we get the requirement and point of distribution tankers will be sent so that Kanwariyas who can then use it to anoint Shiv Lingums on Shivratri (August 6),” said Shankar.

The DM said through India Post portal, devotees can also purchase Ganga Jal.

Meanwhile, the Youth Congress has dispatched 6,000 litres of Ganga Jal to urban and rural areas of western Uttar Pradesh.

“Kanwariyas can’t arrive this year too, so we thought that on

our own level we provide sacred Ganga water to Kanwariyas in neighbouring states,” said Youth Congress leader

Akash Bhati .

Ganga Sabha president Pradeep Jha said: “Tanker service is a good alternative.”