Low water level at Har-ki-Pauri irks pilgrims

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, May 2

Insufficient water flow at the sanctum sanctorum of Braham Kund, Har-ki-Pauri, for the past few days is affecting the sentiments of the purohits, saints and pilgrims.

Due to lack of water, pilgrims are not able to take a full dip in the Ganga and perform rituals at ghats.

The Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department, which manages the affairs of the Ganga canal in Haridwar, too, has been diverting the major water flow towards other Ganga canal streams which provide water for drinking and irrigation purposes to hundreds of villages and towns of Uttar Pradesh.

Assistant engineer, Ganga Canal Headworks, North Canal, Sushil Yadav said due to the scant water level in the mainstream of the Ganga from the Himalayas, the impact on the water level had also been witnessed in the Ganga, Har-ki-Pauri stream and eastern Ganga canal too.

Putting the onus on the Uttarakhand Irrigation Department for paucity of water at Har-ki-Pauri, Yadav said during four-month Ardh Kumbh, which concluded last month, maintenance work was done at the mainstream of the Ganga which reaches Har-ki-Pauri.

Expressing resentment, the Akhil Bharatiya Yuva Teerth Purohit Mahasabha has warned of agitation if the sufficient water level was not restored at the sanctum sanctorum of Braham Kund.

National president of the mahasabha Ujjwal Pundit said even during the British era, the sufficient water flow was ensured at Har-ki-Pauri but for the past few days, the water level had gone one-foot low, which was hurting the sentiments of the pilgrims.

The Ganga Sabha, which manages the affairs of Har-ki-Pauri, has also put forth this issue with the district administration and Irrigation Department of Uttar Pradesh to ensure speedy solution of the issue.

District Magistrate Harbans Singh Chugh said he had directed Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand department officials to ensure sufficient water flow at Har-ki-Pauri.