There was no fencing at the ghats as claimed by the officials
No takers for open Air toilets near Ghats
RAJAHMUNDRY: Incomplete works, lack of proper co-ordination and communication between various departments, coupled with the rush of VIPs, pushed the pilgrims into trouble at various Pushkar ghats in Rajahmundry even on the second day of the river fete on Wednesday.
Officials concerned, apart from the government media adviser Parakala Prabhakar, admitted that pilgrims faced troubles on the first day but said there was no problem to the pilgrims on Wednesday, which is against the ground reality.
K. Nageswara Rao, a pilgrim at a ghat in Rajahmundry, said there was no fencing at the ghats as claimed by the officials. The fencing is meant to protect pilgrims getting into the water to take a holy dip.
A commissioner-rank IAS officer, who is monitoring the amenities at the ghats, said there was no proper co-ordination between the police and revenue officials and that it was the main cause for Tuesday’s stampede.
The police is concerned only with making pilgrims be in the queue but it is the responsibility of other departments to ensure comfort of the pilgrims in the queues, he said, adding that it was this co-oridnation which went amiss leading to the tragedy.
No takers for open Air toilets near Ghats:
Though the Rajahmundry Corporation provided toilets at the ghats and other transit places, they are not being used by the pilgrims. Some of the toilets do not have doors and a few of them are being utilised by roadside vendors. Environmentalists warned that people will witness another man-made disaster if the same situation prevailed.
For instance, a toilet constructed by the Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation, opposite the municipal water head office at the main Pushkaram ghat in the city, is occupied by roadside vendors. Devotees did not use the toilet as they had no privacy.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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