Cleanest Gomti bank loses its charm to filth, pollution; Devotees return without taking holy dip
Lucknow, Jan 14: Some devotees on Monday returned without taking a holy dip in Gomti river on Makar Sankranti because of the pollution in the river.
Speaking to ANI, a devotee said, 'people throw flowers etc in river even though government has asked us not to do so. Government should have cleaned it ahead of Makar Sankranti.
The
4.8km
stretch
from
Ghaila
ghat
to
Gau
ghat
is
considered
the
'cleanest'
when
compared
to
other
ghats
in
the
city.
Locals
say
that
until
a
few
years
ago,
water
in
Ghaila
ghat
was
crystal
clear.
But
the
situation
is
fast
changing
as
this
ghat,
too,
is
getting
polluted
-
filth
and
hyacinths
can
be
seen
in
patches
along
the
Ghaila
ghat
to
Gau
ghat
stretch.
The pollution is also reflected in the decline of oxygen levels and threat to aquatic life in the river water. Experts say major polluting factors in this stretch are discharge of effluents from a sugar mill in Sitapur, garbage dumping site near the Ghaila bridge and more than eight obstructions made as a part of the Gomti riverfront project.