To cater to the arrival of crores of pilgrims expected in the Kumbh Mela in 2021, the Kumbh Mela officer Deepak Rawat expressed the possibility of extending Har ki Paidi area. He said this while inspecting the area along with departmental officials on Friday.
Rawat inspected the Kangra Ghat and surrounding areas for extension possibilities and directed the irrigation department officials to acquire the land required for extension purposes. Speaking to The Pioneer, Rawat said, “The influx of pilgrims to the holy city has been rising consistently in recent years.
To cater to their needs and minimise the possibility of stampede in the area, very soon expansion will be done.” He said that Kangra Ghat is a very big area at Har Ki Paidi and is divided by Mahila Snan Ghat building. Plans are afoot to shift the Mahila bathing Ghat and extend the Kangra Ghat. He gave directions to the officials of irrigation department to acquire the private land and mark the land owned by the irrigation department. He added that extension would not only add to the aesthetic appeal of Har ki Paidi but also help maintain system in area and manage the crowd.
He asked the officials to make arrangements to give compensation to the private land owners in the area and at the same time irrigation department will mark and claim its own land encroached by vendors.
Additional Mela officer Lalit Narayan Mishra and OSD, Mela, Mahesh Sharma along with engineers of irrigation department were also present during inspection.