The railway department is considering to make some trains to stop at Motichur railway station during the Kanwad Mela to facilitate lakhs of pilgrims who come to fetch water from the holy Ganga to be offered at Shivalayas in their respective towns and villages. Due to excessive rush of the pilgrims, those from the northern parts of the city face trouble to board trains from Haridwar railway station.
Kanwad mela is beginning from July 28 and as per the rough estimate of the state police, over three crore pilgrims are coming to Haridwar this time. The residents of Bhim Goda, Kharkhari and Bhupatwala areas of Haridwar, in particular, face troubles to reach the Haridwar railway station around the time of the pilgrimage as they have to cross the Har Ki Paidi area to reach the station. This area houses maximum number of dharamshalas, ashrams and temples.
The in-charge of Railway Protection Force Haridwar Pradeep Kumar said on Wednesday that plans are afoot to make some long- distance trains to halt at Motichur station during the Kanwad pilgrimage. “Our team has already conducted an inspection from the security point of view,” he said.
Observers say that in case the move under the railway department’s consideration is executed it would ease the problems the residents of the city face during this time in reaching the Haridwar railway station. “Right now, none of the long-distance trains which cross Haridwar stop at Motichur railway station except the Bandra Express. This move is long overdue. The sooner the department executes it the better in view of the upcoming pilgrimage which would see footfalls of millions for some days,” says an observer.