Master plan must for holy city: Ex-MC chief

Tribune News Service 

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Haridwar, January 31

The Ganga is revered by people belonging to all religions and communities, especially Hindus. Millions of pilgrims and tourists visit Haridwar city every year to have a dip in the holy river, a traditional practice that is going on for centuries. This number increases manifold during the Kanwar yatra, Kumbh, Ardh Kumbh and religious occasions. The existing infrastructure and civic facilities will not be able to withstand the pressure of a large number people during the ongoing Ardh Kumbh.

Saint Satpal Brahmachari, who is also a former city Municipal Council chairperson, says there is an urgent need to immediately formulate a master plan for Haridwar city.

He says about three crore Lord Shiva devotees (Kanwariyas) arrived in Haridwar to fetch Ganga jal during the annual Kanwar pilgrimage in a fortnight last year. Kanwariyas mainly come from across the northern region. Brahmachari adds when three crore pilgrims arrive in the city in a fortnight during the Kanwar yatra one can imagine the footfall during the ongoing four-month Ardh Kumbh and future Kumbh.

“Haridwar used to be a pilgrim city but now it has become an educational and industrial hub. The city is fast expanding and it no more means only the Har-ki-Pauri area. Now, the whole stretch of Har-ki-Pauri, Mayapur, Devpura, Rishikul, Ranipur to Jwalapur is densely populated. Already, more than three lakh persons live in the city periphery. Besides, between one and two lakh pilgrims arrive in the city on normal days. The city’s existing infrastructure is not strong enough to withstand such a big crowd pressure. Moreover, no proper planning has been done in this regard during the past few years,” says Brahmachari.

He stresses the need for expansion of Har-ki-Pauri ghats so that more number of pilgrims could be accommodated at one time, especially during festive baths. “We need to have a master plan for the city for at least 12 to 18 years. Otherwise, the local administration will find it difficult to effectively manage the rush of pilgrims during the Kanwar yatra and festive baths on religious occasions such as Somwati Amavasya, Makar Sankranti, Baisakhi, Maha Shivratri,” he says.

“There is a need to expand the national highway stretch and chowks and intersections in the city, and build more bridges, parking lots, bypasses and a new Inter State Bus Terminus. Private builders should be made to strictly adhere to the master plan,” says Brahmachari.

He adds encroachment is another issue that needs to be dealt with strictly. The core mela zone of Har-ki-Pauri, Moti Bazaar, Upper Bazaar, Jhanvi Bazaar and Shiv Moorti Chowk, and the railway station and bus station stretch have all become congested due to encroachments.

Brahmachari says traffic lights should be installed at all intersections in the city  to handle the vehicular rush. A provision of parking should be made mandatory for new hotels, rest houses, lodges and dharamshalas.

“Haridwar is located on the banks of the Ganga with mountainous terrain on both sides. The city has little scope of expansion. Hence, satellite townships may prove useful as in the case of the Delhi National Capital Region where Gurgaon, Greater Gurgaon, Noida and Greater Noida have reduced pressure of population on Delhi.