like Har-ki-Pauri, a new Shiv-ki-Pauri would be made at Neeldhara Ganga river bank. Plans are afoot to raise the water level to 830 metres from the current 825 metres so that people can have holy dip on Shiv-ki-Pauri. This was announced by the Uttar Pradesh Minister for Public Works Department, Irrigation and Flood Control, Shiv Pal Yadav, on Monday during his visit to Haridwar.
The minister also took holy bath at Neeldhara ganga ghat near to Dakshin Kali temple on magh Purnima and earned the merit of Ardh Kumbh mela snan. He had come to inaugurate and dedicate to the public the new canal Iris bridge near Dam Kothi and laid the foundation stone of Shiv Ki Pauri, a bathing ghat and a guest house at the bank of upper ganga canal.
To facilitate the pilgrims, a similar sanctum sanctorum like existing Har Ki Pauri shall be made at Neeldhara river stream said the UP cabinet minister Shiv Pal Yadav while talking to media persons at Kali Temple near Chandi ghat. The minister said, “I will be meeting the chief minister of the state Harish Rawat and discuss the probabilities of Shiv Ki Pauri. Also discussions on raising the water level shall be done.” The minister added that he was hopeful that the results of the talks would be positive.
Yadav also affirmed that the long pending issues of transfer of properties under states of UP and Uttarakhand shall be resolved soon.
Water crisis in Delhi NCR region to be sorted out
There is water crisis in Delhi, Agra and Mathura region and because of pollution in Delhi, water of Yamuna river has turned murky and they are forced to drink polluted water. With the increased capacity of the Ganga canal by the formation of Iris bridge, now the people of the region, especially farmers would be greatly benefitted. Speaking to the Pioneer, the UP minister of irrigation Shiv Pal Yadav said, “We are increasing the water release from here by 2500 cusecs per second which would benefit the people of Delhi, Agra and Mathura. Through the upper ganga canal this water would reach the people of these cities.”
The water capacity of the ganga canal has been increased from 10500 to 13000 cusecs capacity by construction of a hundred meter long canal connecting Mayapur stream to upper Ganga canal. Now ample quantity of water would be available in the ganga canal stretch from Haridwar to Kanpur. Notably Upper Ganga canal was constructed by the British Government in the 1840s to deal with the problem of drought and famine in the western part of the Uttar Pradesh.
He also said that government was trying best to save Ganga and Gau (cow) and Ganga was the priority of the Modi government.
For a long time the demand to increase the capacity of water in the ganga canal was being pressed by the farmers of the western UP. Speaking to the Pioneer, Officer of Irrigation department of UP Block, Sushil Kumar Yadav said, “The actual capacity of ganga canal is more than 14000 cusecs. But the water released from Bhimgoda barrage is within the range of 10,000 to 10,500 cusecs per second. Earlier rest of the water was discharged into escape channel which further gets mixed with ganga water. Now with the completion of Iris bridge, the water capacity of Bhimgoda barrage has been increased.”
Mention worthy this project was sanctioned in 2012 by UP irrigation department with the estimated expenses of 80 crores. In the year 2014 the bridge work started after the release of funds which has been completed now.