Followers of Gayatri Family, Shantikunj, numbering around 5,000, launched a cleaning drive in the heart of the city on Friday to put it back to the state where it was before the fortnight-long Kanwar Teerth Yatra had begun. As per the official data, around 3.19 crore Kanwarias thronged the district during the yatra. The residents grumble over the city being reduced to a dump yard of garbage. An average 200 MT garbage is collected daily by the agency engaged by the civic body in the municipal area.
However, the trouble compounded with the yatra leaving surplus of three MT garbage daily. Manager of Shantikunj informed The Pioneer that five thousand followers who hail from different parts of country joined the drive at Hari Ki Pauri and railway station, the places left filthy by the yatra. They worked as part of five teams, each comprising 750-800.
The followers collected the items left by Kanwarias like water bottles, plastic, cups, plates, polythene sheets, saffron clothes of different shapes and sizes, broken bamboo structures and many other things dumped hither and thither. And this happened despite National Green Tribunal having banned polythene in any form in the city in its latest order issued on July 2.
A municipal engineer Dinesh Sharma said things remaining congested even two days after the yatra was over, it is still proving difficult for the vehicles to reach Har Ki Pauri.
Questions are being raised on the strategy and role of the Municipal Corporation Haridwar (MCH) and
district administration via-a-vis the yatra. “Things are not inspiring confidence in the
people of thing turning better for 2016 Ardh Kumbh which would draw crores” an
observer said.