2,000 Ganga Sevadoots ensure cleanliness of ghats, rivers

2,000 Ganga Sevadoots ensured safety and cleanliness during the Paush Purnima festival at Mahakumbh, supported by scouts and police for smooth operations.

A total of 2,000 Ganga Sevadoots remained deployed across the stretches of ghats to ensure safety, convenience, and cleanliness during the Paush Purnima bathing festival on the first day of Mahakumbh on Monday.

A Ganga sevadoot at a ghat near Sangam on Monday (HT Photo)

As devotees offered flowers during worship, the Sevadoots promptly collected and disposed them of to maintain the purity of the river and the ghats. Ganga Sevadoots were stationed at ghats across all sectors to maintain the cleanliness of the Ganga and Yamuna, said officials.

These dedicated individuals, trained by the mela administration, carried out their responsibilities diligently, ensuring the rivers remained clean and sacred for the devotees, they added.

In addition, Scout and Guide boys and girls contributed to the effort, working voluntarily on the ghats. Arif, a scout from Sonbhadra, shared that his team, along with scouts and guides from Mirzapur and Varanasi, has been assisting since January 9.

Around 91 scouts and guides are engaged, with 10,200 expected to serve over the next 45 days. The administration has arranged for their stay and meals in Sector 6.

To further ensure cleanliness, a large contingent of policemen has been deployed. Their role is to ensure that devotees do not linger on the ghats after bathing, encouraging those who have completed their rituals to vacate the area for others. The police remained actively involved throughout the day to maintain the smooth flow of devotees.