Full preparations on for Ardh Kumbh mela

Allahabad, Dec 15: Preparations are on in full swing for the Ardh Kumbh mela which will be held here in January, 2007.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Naveen Chandra Bajpai has assured that adequate and ''pollution free'' water will be made available in river Ganga for the devotees during the mela.

Talking to mediapersons yesterday after reviewing the mela preparations, Mr Bajpai said water would be released from Narora dam during the month-long mela.

''We will release water according to need as the excess release of water might damage the phontoon bridges on the river and ghats.'' He said the district magistrates in whose areas the Ganga was flowing have been asked not to allow discharge of polluted water directly into the river but to release it after treatment.

Only big drains here are being tapped as small ones could not be done, he said adding that monitoring committees have been formed to check the Ganga water daily.

He said their aim was to provide better drinking water, electricity, road and accomodation to the visitors. During the mela a parallel city would also come up on the sandy bed of river Ganga here.

''Our effort is to be prepared to meet any case of emergency. There is no specific information about terrorist attacks,'' he added.

About three crore people from different parts of the country and abroad were expected to gather here on the auspicious day of ''mauni amavasya''.

Director General of state police Bua Singh, Principal Secretary Nagar Vikas Amal Kumar Verma, Secretary PWD Sadakant and other senior officers were present at the review meeting.

Meanwhile, in Hardwar, Mr Raj Kumar Singh, vice chairman of the Hardwar Development Authority (HDA), last evening took charge as mela officer for the Kumbh mela. Soon after taking over, Mr Singh told UNI that the administration had started gearing up for the mela to revamp the infrastructure facilities in the area.

He said out of the total proposed budget of Rs 312 crore for the Kumbh, Rs 75 crore would be spent on road constructions, 40 crore on drinking water, 23 crore on electricity, 20 crore on security arrangements, Rs 20.35 crore on irrigation facilities, Rs 21 crore on the Ganga pollution control, Rs 10 crore for Hardwar Development Authority, Rs 16 crore for constructing bridges and Rs 30 crore for publicity&information department.

UNI