Dehradun: A meeting of the high-powered committee on proposed works for the Kumbh Mela 2027 was held at the Secretariat on Friday under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan. During the meeting, recommendations were made to proposals from various departments.
The Chief Secretary reviewed the progress of works related to the Kumbh Mela 2027. He emphasized prioritizing urgent works in Phase 1 and called for continuous monitoring to ensure timely completion. He urged that government orders be issued immediately for works for which government orders have not been issued. Those works for which government orders have been issued and the tender process has been completed should be started immediately. He directed that work on Phase 1 of the Mansa Devi Temple be started soon. He said that the government order should be issued within a month. He also directed that arrangements be made for women’s ghats at the Kangra Ghats.
The Chief Secretary noted that devotees have separate entry and exit points at the ghats, forcing them to return to the same location to retrieve their shoes and belongings, causing unnecessary congestion. He directed that a mechanism be developed for storing shoes and belongings near the ghats so that they can retrieve them at the exit point. He assigned this responsibility to the Secretary, PWD.
The Chief Secretary also called for the Irrigation Department to prepare a drainage plan for Pantdweep and Bat Island. He said that the Irrigation Department should quickly prepare a proposal to address the waterlogging problem at Ranipur Mor and Bhagat Singh Chowk.
The Chief Secretary also directed the preparation of a waste management plan for the ghats in Haridwar. He emphasized the need for a permanent solution. He stated that the Ganga Sabha manages the waste at Har Ki Pauri. Waste management plans should also be developed for other ghats.
The Chief Secretary directed third-party evaluation to maintain the quality of work. He stated that the quality of work should be regularly monitored, and weekly reports from the evaluation agency should be compiled and studied.
Secretary Nitesh Kumar Jha, Dr. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Dilip Jawalkar, Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar, Sridhar Babu Addhanki, Yugal Kishore Pant, and Mela Officer Mrs. Sonika, along with senior officials from the relevant departments, were present on the occasion.
