PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Haridwar
Taking advantage of the Ganga Canal closure, the Mela administration has shifted its full focus to building new ghats for the upcoming Ardh Kumbh 2027. Construction is underway day and night to enhance the bathing experience for arriving pilgrims. Monitoring the project closely, Mela officer Sonika and additional Mela officer Dayanand Saraswati conducted site inspections at several ghats to evaluate the quality and pace of the work.
“New ghats spanning more than three kilometers are being developed at various locations across the Kumbh city. We are regularly reviewing the progress through on-site inspections,” said a senior Mela officer who accompanied Sonika and Saraswati.
As part of Ardh Kumbh preparations, the Irrigation department is constructing nine ghats between Haridwar and Bahadrabad. The total length of these ghats is 2,966 meters. On the left bank of the Upper Ganga Canal, the 321-meter-long Kamdhenu Ghat is being constructed between Shahid Bhagat Singh Ghat and Singhdwar. Similarly, ghat construction work is underway from Amarpur Ghat to Rishikul bridge, Shankaracharya Chowk and Tulsi Ghat areas, totaling 770 meters. Furthermore, construction is progressing on the 735-meter stretch between Rishikul Bridge and Sakshi Satnam Ghat. This project includes three sections: Janaki Ghat, Laxman Ghat and Bharat Ghat. Construction of a 275-meter-long ghat near the Municipal Corporation office on the right bank of the Upper Ganga Canal is also underway.
This aside, bathing ghats are also being expanded in other areas of Haridwar. A 260-meter-long bathing ghat is being constructed on the escape channel in the Bairagi Camp area, while the 75-meter-long Vedniketan Ghat is being constructed near Kharkhari.
A 200-meter-long Chhath Puja ghat is being constructed near barrier number six in the Bahadrabad area. The proposed works also include a 300-meter-long ghat upstream of the Jatwara bridge in Jwalapur and a 30-meter-long ghat near the Durga temple.
Apart from this, under the redevelopment plan of UIDB’s Har Ki Pauri area, construction work of 82 meter long ghat between near CCR building and Dhanush bridge is also underway.
These days, construction work is underway on a war footing during the Ganga Canal closure period. A large number of workers and machinery have been deployed while engineers have been deployed at each ghat.
