Dehradun: The state has requested a budget of ₹3,472 crore from the central government to enhance the Haridwar Kumbh Mela’s grandeur across a 150-square-kilometer area. This year, an estimated 170 to 210 million devotees are expected to attend the Kumbh between January and April. During the 2021 Kumbh, despite COVID-19, 66.25 lakh devotees attended the four royal baths.
Kumbh Mela officer Sonika has prepared a proposal for the preparations. This time, it is estimated that 15 to 20 million devotees will arrive for the royal baths alone. Currently, the Kumbh Mela has 12.62 km of ghats, with a capacity of 13.9 million devotees per 24 hours.
There is a proposal to expand the ghats to 5.68 km at a cost of ₹110 crore, allowing 17.8 million devotees to attend the ghats per 24 hours. There is also a proposal to construct a 2.5 km long temporary ghat. A budget of ₹80 crore has been requested for the construction of 78.38 km of temporary roads and 22 temporary bridges during the Kumbh Mela.
Similarly, the current water availability in the Kumbh Mela area is 132 MLD, while the demand is 164 MLD. To meet the remaining 32 MLD, 17 tube wells, three overhead tanks, 50.50 km of pipeline replacement, and 49 fire hydrants will be installed. A budget of ₹99.25 crore has been requested for this. A budget of ₹56.37 crore has been requested for laying 220 km of temporary pipeline, constructing 3,000 public stand posts, and 300 temporary fire hydrants.
