GB Nagar to focus on repair, lighting on key routes before Kanwar Yatra

With the annual Kanwar Yatra and Shravan Shivratri just weeks away, the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration has intensified preparations, issuing a strict deadline to all departments concerned to complete pending infrastructure work along key pilgrimage corridors

With the annual Kanwar Yatra and Shravan Shivratri just weeks away, the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration has intensified preparations, issuing a strict deadline to all departments concerned to complete pending infrastructure work along key pilgrimage corridors. Officials reviewed the progress during a high-level meeting on Saturday.

The Kanwar Yatra is set to begin on July 30, with footfall expected to peak until August 11. (HT)

The Kanwar Yatra is set to begin on July 30, with footfall expected to peak until Shravan Shivratri on August 11.

The focus remains on the primary Kanwar routes, including the Kherli canal stretch, Jarcha–Samana Road, the NHAI-controlled GT Road section, Lal Kuan–Dadri road, and the Samtal Chowki corridor, all of which are expected to witness heavy footfall of devotees.

District magistrate Medha Roopam chaired the meeting and directed officials to ensure that all basic civic facilities are put in place within a stipulated timeframe. “No devotee should face any inconvenience during the yatra. All essential arrangements — from pothole repairs and vegetation clearance to waterlogging prevention, traffic management, anti-encroachment drives, and street lighting -- must be completed before the pilgrimage begins,” she said.

The DM also pulled up multiple agencies for failing to submit compliance reports despite earlier instructions, and sought updated status reports on work carried out at identified black spots along the yatra routes.

Specific deadlines were set for pending work on the Jarcha–Samana road, while the Noida authority was asked to furnish a progress report on improvements at the Samtal Chowki Greater Cut. The Public Works Department (PWD) was instructed to prioritise the installation of barricades and signages near the Kherli canal bridge in Dankaur.

Waterlogging remains a major concern along the Lal Kuan–Dadri GT Road stretch. In response, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials informed the administration that four dewatering pumps have been deployed at vulnerable points. The DM directed NHAI and other agencies to submit detailed deployment plans, including vehicle and driver details, along with their designated locations.

To ensure seamless coordination, all departments have been asked to work in tandem with the police and conduct joint field inspections of the Kanwar routes to identify and rectify any remaining gaps.

“Compliance reports are to be submitted immediately. Any delay or negligence in completing assigned tasks will attract strict accountability,” the DM warned.