Pushkar Mela 2019: Blocked Bharalumukh Sparks Dissent

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Honoring the bounty offered by the mighty Brahmaputra, the Pushkar Mela 2019 celebration began on November 5 at the ghats of the city starting from Bharalumukh to Fancy Bazaar. Devotees in large numbers turned up and were seen taking the holy dip in the river. Meanwhile, the authorities’ attention was caught by the filth that gets dumped in the river through sewage. Changes were made in the sewage routes and the Sluice Gate at Bharalamukh was closed so that the devotees could take a dip without immersing themselves in murky water during the course of the mela.

Amidst the rituals, spiritual discourses and cultural programmes, it appears irrelevant to listen to gripes of all and sundry, however, what cannot be ignored is the consequent flooding of certain areas of the city after the Sluice Gate was closed. Plastic packets, human and animal waste have choked the area, making a mockery of the Government’s much stressed Swacchata Abhiyaan. The heaps of plastic waste is so thick that at some places that it is blocking the flow of water through the city. The water level has also increased dramatically soon after the gate was closed and a stench wafted through the area.

Anil Nagar is swamped with sewage water and concerns have been raised over further worsening the pollution in the waters of Deeporbeel. Residents complaining about the situation blamed the authorities for their decision to close the Sluice Gate at Bharalamukh and perturbed by the surrounding filth, raised their voices before the media.

Upon being asked about the District Commissioner (DC) Biswajeet Pegu’s opinion regarding the issue, he said, “It was appalling to watch the devotees take a dip in unsanitary water during such a holy occasion. People have come here to cleanse their souls and we could not let them do that in filth. This is why the decision to close the Sluice Gate was taken. Also, the overflowing of sewage water is mostly due to lack of civic sense. Of course, for health and safety reasons, we have deployed people to clean the area and look into the matter.” The Pushkar Mela 2019 is a 12 days affair and already the city has suffered from unforeseen hygiene concerns. Understanding that the mela is a holy undertaking, certain decisions have rendered the city residents helpless, costing them their peace of mind and wellbeing. Will it be rituals over sanitation is the moot question.

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