The State’s Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik met the Union Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan and Union minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the national Capital on Wednesday. Kaushik discussed various issues related to the State’s requirements for the Kumbh Mela to be held at Haridwar in 2021.
Meeting Gadkari, Kaushik said that CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has accorded top priority to swift completion of Muzaffarnagar-Haridwar national highway. To expedite this work, an agreement was arrived upon in the meeting to decrease the tender process period from 18 months to one year. Work on the Haridwar ring road is to be undertaken in three phases. To expedite work in view of the Kumbh Mela, it was decided that the second phase work will be started first and that a Ganga bridge will be constructed on this route. Gadkari directed that the state’s additional chief secretary Om Prakash should hold a meeting with NHAI officials in Dehradun on August 27 regarding this. Kaushik informed that the Kumbh Mela will be held from January to April 2021 in Haridwar. During the 2010 Kumbh Mela about eight crore people from across India and abroad had visited Haridwar. More than 16 crore are expected to arrive during the 2021 Kumbh Mela, he said. Most of the people arriving use NH 58, NH 73 and NH 74. Currently, four-laning, widening, construction of flyovers and other works are being undertaken on these national highways.
Kaushik requested that the tender process be started immediately for construction of 14 bridges on the 80 kilometre stretch of NH 58 between Muzaffarnagar and Haridwar being widened. The various works on NH 58 and NH 74 should be executed on priority basis before the Kumbh Mela 2021, he said. Kaushik also requested that the Puhana-Imlikheda-Bahadrabad road be made a national highway to enable its widening as it is an important route to those travelling to Haridwar. Those coming from Haryana, Punjab and Saharanpur can be made to directly enter Haridwar through this route which will also decrease the crowd on NH 58. He also requested that the Roshanabad-Biharigarh road be made a national highway so that it can be widened and in case of heavy crowding in Haridwar, traffic can be diverted to this road towards Saharanpur and Dehradun. Gadkari assured that action would be taken soon after considering these issues. Union minister of State, general (retd) VK Singh, State additional chief secretary Om Prakash and other officials were also present in this meeting.
Meeting Pradhan, Kaushik discussed aspects of a clean and green Kumbh. The Union minister directed officials to tour Hardiwar and hold a meeting towards facilitating a pollution-free, fire-free and waste-free Kumbh Mela. Kaushik table proposal related to waste disposal and gas supply in Haridwar. He also discussed the laying of PNG and CNG lines from Roorkee to Mussoorie. He suggested proposal for a PPP mode project to ensure solid waste management and power supply in the Kumbh Mela area. During the Kumbh Mela, biogas and biodiesel and ethanol for biogas energy which will also aid fire safety.
Kaushik also met the Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. He requested completion of Ghat construction under Namami Gange and modernisation of the crematorium in Haridwar before the Kumbh Mela.