Meagre funds may hit works of Godavari Maha Kumbh Mela

The state endowments commissioner during a meeting on arrangements for the mega event at Kakinada recently reportedly asked the irrigation authorities to allot just Rs 5 lakhs for each bathing ghat either for strengthening the existing ones or taking up construction of new ones.

The irrigation authorities were shocked at such a meagre allocation for a ghat. They say that nobody knows about the water level in the Godavari river during the event scheduled to be held in July next.

The water level at Sir Arthur Cotton barrage may touch either first or second or even third warning level in the event of heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the river at that time.

In a bid to ensure safety to the devotees, the irrigation authorities plan to enhance the platforms of the ghats a little above the third warning level so that there will not be any problem to the devotees to perform their rituals even if Godavari witnesses heavy floods at that time.

The authorities also intend to erect barricades on the ghat platforms to suit all the three warning levels of the flood water to ensure more safety to the devotees.

Authorities proposed to take up construction of 75 new bathing ghats and to strengthen 125 existing ghats at an estimated cost of Rs 70 crores in both the districts and submitted proposals accordingly.

However, the government has asked them to revise their estimates to a meager Rs 15 crores. A senior irrigation official said, “I wonder how with Rs 5 lakh a new ghat will be constructed or existing ghat strengthened. The ghats stand in flood water and any compromise in their quality may cause them wash away endangering the lives of the devotees.”