20K toilets for pilgrims during Haridwar Kumbh next year
Dehradun: In the next two months, for bolstering public utilities in Haridwar Kumbh 2021, the Uttarakhand government has planned to build over 20,000 makeshift toilets with a unique colour-code and other facilities for pilgrims, which would come up in the Mela region spread in over 156 square kilometer.
With great fanfare but sticking to the social distancing norms, the world's largest religious assembly is going to kick off on January 14, 2021 and over 20 crore pilgrims are estimated to reach Haridwar for a holy dip during the Kumbh.
Speaking with the Millennium Post, Kumbh Mela Officer-In Charge Deepak Rawat stressed that clean toilets have been one of the most important focus area while planning the civic facilities for pilgrims during the Haridwar Kumbh.
"We have planned to set up 20,000 toilets and also additional manpower of over 12,000 for ensuring cleanliness round the clock during the Kumbh Mela. The spadework of this plan like distance, specification, locations, colour-coding and other logistic support–like water and power supply–are being worked out in consultation with all the stakeholders," said Rawat.
At present all the works–roads, bridges, bathing ghats, power and water supply lines, beautifications, civic facilities, traffic and security arrangements–are going on in numerous sites at a frantic pace, simultaneously.
For the sewage management and toilets, the state government is in talks with the central government for funds under the Namami Gange project. "Right now, all the works are going on in full swing and in a fortnight, you would be able to see the new colour in all the prominent buildings in the city and those close to the holy Ganga," said Rawat.
He added that 100 parking lots with 5 lakh vehicles capacity would be built for the Kumbh. The parking lots would have details of the access roads, and routes to the bathing Ghats and the main city. The entire Haridwar Kumbh Mela area has been divided into 23 sectors where all the facilities are being set up, including a 1000 beds Covid-19 centre for pilgrims.
