Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], September 3 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday said that all the preparations for the grand event of Kumbh Mela 2027 in Haridwar should be done on time, and works of a permanent nature should be completed by October 2026.

According to a press release, the works should be classified on the basis of priority and completed. All departments should work together in a mutually coordinated manner.

During a high-level meeting held in the Secretariat in preparation for Haridwar Kumbh 2027, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that organising a grand and divine Kumbh is the top priority of the state government. He said that all work related to the fair should be done with the expanded area and the master plan in mind.

All sectors, routes, parking, ghats, and camp sites should be clearly marked in the master plan, so that, along with acquiring the necessary land, temporary use of the concerned land can be ensured. Also, to reduce the pressure of the crowd, the construction of new ghats, the expansion of Kangra Ghat, and the repair of existing ghats should also be completed on time.

The Chief Minister said that to ensure the safe completion of the fair, encroachment should be strictly removed from government land and roads.

CM Dhami said that whatever work is being done by UIIDB in the Haridwar Ganga Corridor, it should be completed on priority in view of the Kumbh. The Chief Minister stated that the under-construction Bahadarabad-Shyampur bypass should be completed soon, so that its maximum benefits can be availed during the Kumbh. Similarly, a master plan should be prepared to set up special tents in Shyampur, Gandikhata and Chandighat areas. Similarly, the traffic and parking systems should be strengthened in the Kumbh area. In the traffic diversion plan, parking spaces should be arranged for the convenience of the devotees.

Shuttle service should be considered if the parking is far away. The internal routes in the Kumbh area should also be repaired on time, residents will also get the benefit of this. The work of strengthening the Mansa Devi, Chandi Devi pedestrian path should be completed on time.

CM Dhami stated that the zero waste concept should be adopted for solid waste management, with adequate arrangements made for waste disposal, including dustbins, recycling systems, and mobile toilets, in the Kumbh area. For the convenience of women devotees, adequate arrangements of pink toilets and changing rooms should also be ensured. 24-hour cleaning should be done on the ghats and banks of the Ganga. Proper arrangements should be made for aarti and sitting for the devotees at Har Ki Pauri.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to complete all the arrangements related to the safety of the devotees on time during Kumbh. Along with crowd management, traffic control and parking arrangements, all basic facilities should be provided at the parking places. For the safety of devotees, lifeguards, safety ropes, and motorboats should be available at every ghat. The Chief Minister stated that special care should be taken to ensure that devotees have a positive experience in Uttarakhand; for this, passengers should be treated well. For this, the personnel should be trained from now on.

The Chief Minister stated that health facilities should be maintained in good condition in the fair area. Temporary hospitals, ambulances and mobile medical teams should be arranged in the fair area. Maximum use of IT and digital services should be made in fair management. Mobile apps, helplines and information centres should be set up to provide real-time information to devotees. He has instructed the Chief Secretary to review the Kumbh Mela preparations in 15 days. (ANI)