Haridwar: Haridwar in Uttarakhand is known as the “Land of the Gods.” This year, around 5 crore devotees visited to collect Ganga water during the month of Shravan. The pilgrimage concluded the day before yesterday with Shivaratri worship.
Meanwhile, large quantities of plastic items, used clothes, and bottles used for urination are scattered as garbage along the banks of the Ganga and on the streets of Haridwar. In particular, Haridwar’s most important riverbank area, ‘Har Ki Pauri,’ has been severely affected by sanitation issues due to plastic bottles and waste.
Videos showing sanitation workers collecting these without gloves or masks have now surfaced, causing widespread outrage among local residents. People say it is unfortunate that devotees who walk hundreds of miles to collect Ganga water are seeing the sacred riverbank being spoiled like this.
Regarding this, Haridwar Municipal Commissioner Nandan Kumar said, “Once Shivaratri ended, municipal workers were engaged through the night in cleaning the riverbanks, parking areas, and roads. So far, more than 7,000 tons of garbage have been removed.”
Not only Haridwar and Rishikesh, but more than 57,000 devotees have also visited Gangotri, the source of the Ganges. Even in Gangotri, which has been declared a plastic-free zone, tons of plastic and cloth waste have been dumped. In this situation, social activists have demanded that the government implement strict measures to protect the sanctity of holy places and the environment.