In view of the number of Kanwadias increasing each passing day, a make-shift bus stand has come up at Rishikul grounds at the behest of the District administration. The transport officials say that it would be there till the pilgrimage is over. However, the railway station and the bus stand facing each other, a traffic pileup was seen in the area. The officials add that the bus stand which started operating from Monday- the second Monday of ‘Shravan month’- would provide services for the buses coming from and going to Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi aside from other parts of Uttarakhand.
Assistant general manager Uttarakhand transport department, SS Chauhan said that 78 buses are now operating from Rshikul grounds. This aside, 56 buses of JNNURM, including Uttar Pradesh Parivahan Nigam, would also operate from the same place, he said, adding that the service would continue till 21 July-the day the pilgrimage would end.
However, the passengers are facing difficulties with the transport authority having provided them with neither the drinking water facilities nor a place for them to wait and rest at the makeshift bus stand. Even the temporary toilets being non- operational, the people are being forced to avail ‘Sulabh Shauchalayas’ to relieve themselves on the payment basis.
A passenger from Almora Guru Sharan Negi said that he was shocked over the district administration having done nothing to provide the pilgrims coming in their hordes from near and far with the basic toilet and drinking water facilities. “We have reached here on the pilgrimage after covering a long distance. We are naturally frustrated with the lack of basic facilities,” he said.