The two-week long mega cultural event is posing a litmus test to the civil and the police administration having real tough time this year to handle the rush of Kanwariyas riding bikes.
The highways were closed at the entry points of UP and Haryana and industrial production is badly hit due to non-movement of raw materials and finished goods. However it is a boom time for the local business communities, including the priests, the hoteliers, fruit vendors, the owners of dhabas and the sellers of kanwar items who are smiling their way to the banks, minting enough money for the whole year. The slowdown in business which came after the Kedar tragedy has been compensated by this year’s upsurge in pilgrims on Kanwar mela.
On economic front, the industrial production may have been adversely hit, but in the main markets of Bhupatwala, Moti Bazar, Bara Bazar and the Upper Road, it is money flow amongst the shopkeepers selling small items.
Almost all the shopkeepers shut down their normal business and start selling the kanwar items, including vessels to carry Ganga jal, towels, vests bells, rudraksh rosaries, gift items, which the kanwarias generally purchase for their families. It is estimated that a kanwaria stays here for about two days and spends about Rs 1,500 during his holy mission.
Speaking to The Pioneer, SSP Rajeev Swaroop said, “Till now nearly 1 crore 30 lakh kanwarias have come to the city and gone back. A total of 30,000 bikers (dak kanwars) have also come on Friday. The highway is still open. Unlike other Kanwar melas, when for last three days, highway is completely closed.”
“Kanwar Mela has generated the income of more than Rs 1,000 crore for different segments of business community in the district and also generated employment for thousands of people. Kanwar decoration expenses range from Rs 500 to 1 lakh depending upon the size and decor,” says Kailash Keshwani, the president of the District Vyapar Mandal. And the craze for the biggest kanwar worth Rs 1 lakh fetched many a craftsman handsome profits, say the observers.
However, Industrial production in the BHEl and the SIDCUl units has seen a slump since big containers carrying raw material are not allowed to enter the city. At the same time, the auto drivers are having good business since people have no other option but to commute through private autos to their work places with no public transport available.
People start small manufacturing units of making Gangajalis (plastic can used to hold Ganga water). Sheela Devi who is running a small cottage industry of Ganga jalis in Jwalapur says, “We took loan for the festival to procure plastic material from Ghaziabad much before the mela began. Ma Ganga always takes care of us. We sell to the retailer a Gangajali at Rs 10 and Rs 15 and he sells in the market for Rs 20 to Rs 30 depending upon the size.”