Uttarakhand: Dhami government gears up for Kumbh 2027; Chief Secretary issues directives for waste management at all Ganga ghats

Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan chaired a meeting of the High Powered Committee on Proposed Works for the Kumbh Mela 2027 at the Secretariat on Friday. During the meeting, recommendations were made to proposals from various departments.

The Chief Secretary reviewed the progress of works related to the Kumbh Mela 2027. He emphasized the priority given to urgent works in Phase 1. He urged continuous monitoring to ensure timely completion. He urged that government orders be issued immediately for works for which government orders have not been issued. Those works for which government orders have been issued and the tender process has been completed should be initiated immediately. He directed that work on Phase 1 of the Mansa Devi Temple be initiated promptly. He stated that a government order should be issued within a month. He also directed that arrangements be made for a ghat for women at the Kangra Ghat.

The Chief Secretary noted that entry and exit points for devotees at the ghats are separate, forcing them to return to the same location to retrieve their shoes and belongings, causing unnecessary congestion. He directed that a mechanism be developed near the ghats to store the shoes and belongings of devotees, ensuring they receive them at the exit points. He assigned this responsibility to the Secretary, PWD.

The Chief Secretary also called for the Irrigation Department to prepare a drainage plan for Pantdweep and Bat Island. He said the Irrigation Department should quickly prepare a proposal addressing the waterlogging problem at Ranipur Mor and Bhagat Singh Chowk.

The Chief Secretary also directed the preparation of a waste management plan for the ghats in Haridwar. He emphasized the need for a permanent solution. He stated that the Ganga Sabha manages the waste at Har Ki Pauri. Waste management plans should also be developed for other ghats.

The Chief Secretary directed that a third-party evaluation be conducted to maintain the quality of work. He said that the quality of work should be continuously checked, weekly reports should be collected from the evaluation agency and studied.

Secretary Nitesh Kumar Jha, Dr. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Dilip Jawalkar, Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar, Sridhar Babu Addhanki, Yugal Kishore Pant and Mela Officer Mrs. Sonika along with senior officers of the concerned departments were present on this occasion.