The Kanwar Mela started in Haridwar despite the repair work of many routes along Kanwar Patri Marg remaining stalled due to the heavy rains. The Kanwariyas have started thronging the holy city in their hordes from across the country to fetch the Ganga water in their colourfully decorated kanwars.
An estimated number of three crore Kanwariyas is expected to come this year, a figure much more than the footfalls recorded last year.
The patch work on roads in Dhanori, Bahadrabad villages and adjoining areas of Malviya Ghat, Jatwara Pul and Govindpuri is far from complete. What is more, despite the canal road route being surveyed by the District Magistrate a week ago, things are far from satisfactory as far as road illumination and drinking water facility are concerned.
Quizzed by The Pioneer over things remaining far from over, DM Harbans Singh Chugh said that the torrential rains that lashed the region had affected the road repair work considerably. “Due to water logging at many places, the route was damaged at many places. The rains having abated now, the repair work would be completed soon. Much of the work has already been completed,” he said.
However, things on the ground are telling a different story. The kanwar bazaar area at Pantdweep area near Har Ki Pauri was found submerged with the building materials remaining scattered. With rains having stopped presently, things are, however, going back to normalcy as the small vendors are pitching their stalls.
“We are now engaged in erecting stalls meant to sell various kanwar items with the let-up in the rains. We are incurring loss as we are starting late because of the rains. However, we are hoping that things would look up and we would be able to make up the loss in the coming days,” said one of the traders of Haridwar, Prakash Keshwani.