Devotees exasperated due to poor condition of roads in Haridwar’s Haripur Kala and Sapta Sarovar

Apparently, Uttarakhand administration has exhibited its substandard preparedness for a massive ceremony like Kumbh. The govt. should intervene and act against the concerned authorities in the administration!

19th March, Haridwar – The terrible state of roads in Haripur Kala grampanchayat, which is in the vicinity of ‘Har Ki Paudi’, and Sapta Sarovar Marg have irked the Kumbh Mela devotees. The administration seems to be in deep sleep as no steps are being taken to improve the situation. (This demonstrates the Uttarakhand govt.’s administrative incompetency. Had it been a big ceremony of other religions, would the administration have kept roads in a poor condition? – Editor)

1. Unauthorised structures are coming up on large scale in the areas governed by Haripur Kala grampanchayat, Haridwar Municipality and the Mela Officer. No authority has paid attention towards them. As a result, the building materials are piled up and scattered on the main roads as well as on the internal roads.
2. Ironically, most of the ashrams are in Haripur Kala and Sapta Sarovar Marg. The roads here have numerous potholes choking the air with dust everywhere. Building materials like sand and stones have spilled on to the road. The vehicles plying on these roads cause dust to spread in the air, which in turn is causing breathing related disorders among the residents. As these ashrams are visited by devotees from all over the world, administration’s incompetence is gathering international disrepute.
3. If the CM or a minister is to pass through such area or to visit someplace for inauguration, the potholes on the roads in those areas get repaired temporarily.
4. The garbage on the road is cleared only till the minister is present in ceremony. However, once the ceremony is over, garbage begins to pile up from the very next moment. This is the prevailing situation all around the country and Haridwar is no exception to it. Devotees experienced this during the inauguration of Netra Kumbh.
5. The roads in Har Ki Paudi, Kankhal, Bhimgoda, etc. are in good conditions; however, parking on both sides of these roads have caused another headache for the devotees. Traffic jams have become a daily affair in these areas due to the narrow roads and rising number of vehicles. Constant honking takes place due to the attempts to dodge the traffic jam causing air and sound pollution in the surroundings.