Authorities are racing against time to put things in place before the 2025 Maha Kumbh -- the 42-day mega religious event -- unfolds in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on the banks of the Ganga with the first 'shahi snan' being held on Makar Sankranti or January 14.
About 500 projects of central and state governments involving various departments, 15 of them from Uttar Pradesh alone, are at different stages of completion, officials said.
During his October 6 visit to Prayagraj, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced extension of the project-completion deadline by 15 days to December 15, ostensibly to make up for extended rainfall and higher-than-normal water levels of the Ganga.
Usually during the Kumbh Mela, the water level of the Ganges is about 10,000 cusecs to facilitate devotees and saints from across the globe to take the holy dip in the holy river.
“However, when the chief minister had visited Prayagraj on October 6, the water level of the Ganges was about 1.25 lakh cusecs. The water level has now started receding and this has helped speed up various projects,” an official associated with various Kumbh projects said.
“Usually the water level of Ganga starts receding around September 15. This time, however, it happened a month late,” Kumbh Mela Adhikari Vijay Kiran Anand told reporters while expressing confidence that all the projects would be completed within the deadline.
“The size and budget of the Maha Kumbh this time is almost three times that of the 2013 Maha Kumbh,” another official said.
According to officials, the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Indian Institute of Information Technology Prayagraj and Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology have also been roped in for providing inputs for various Kumbh Mela projects.
While officials appear confident of completing Kumbh projects in time, there are complaints of even road widening projects getting delayed. “Widening of the road from Bairhana crossing to the CMP Dot bridge is necessary. This work has been pending since the last Kumbh (2019),” Colonelganj Corporator Anand Ghildiyal said.
“Widening of other roads leading to the Maha Kumbh area from Prayagraj railway junction -- Leader Road and from Johnsonganj crossing to the station too -- haven’t been completed. If these are not completed in time, the devotees may have to face difficulties,” he added.
Anand, the Kumbh Mela Adhikari, said that the entire Kumbh Mela will be set up in an area of more than 4,000 hectares. "The Mela area will be divided into 25 administrative sectors for efficient crowd management. Apart from this, 2,300 CCTV cameras are being installed.” Officials said that about 99 temporary parking spaces and 1.5 lakh toilets are being set up in the fair area.
The Public Works Department is constructing 30 pontoon bridges on the Ganga, they said.
Manoj Gupta, superintending engineer (Kumbh Mela) of the Electricity Department, said 67,000 LED lights and 2,000 solar hybrid lights are being installed for the first time in the Mela area.
An Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam official said that the department is laying down 1,249 km of pipeline to ensure drinking water supply in the entire fair area. About 200 water ATMs and 85 water pumps would be installed in the area.
Regional Manager of Uttar Pradesh State Transport Corporation Manoj Kumar Trivedi said that about 7,000 buses would operate for the Kumbh Mela while another 550 shuttle buses would operate from the Kumbh Mela area to the surrounding areas.
Similarly, the Railways has made preparations to run 825 trains especially when the Kumbh traffic peaks during bathing rituals.
Divisional Railway Manager Himanshu Badoni said that there is a plan to run 825 trains on peak days during the fair. These would be short distance (up to 200 km) trains. Besides, the North Central Railway has approved running 400 trains for long distance.
Badoni said that a toll free number -- 18004199139 -- will be operational from November 1 to enable passengers to get information about different facilities in Kumbh Mela area in their native language.
Officials requesting anonymity said that the Maha Kumbh would cost over Rs 6,000 crore to the government.
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