Yogi inaugurates ₹237.38 cr projects for Mahakumbh
Addressing the ‘swachhagrahis’, boatmen and sanitation workers and others, the CM said that they were the base of the grand event of Mahakumbh.
Mahakumbh-2025 will project the rich cultural heritage of India on the world stage, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said while inaugurating development projects and equipment worth ₹237.38 crore related to the mega fair for safety, sanitation workers and Ganga Sewadoots on his visit to Prayagraj on Wednesday.
“This is our good fortune that we are going to be a part of the world’s largest spiritual and cultural event. Prayagraj Bhagwan—Veni Madhav and Mother Ganga have given us a chance to participate in this ‘divya and bhavya’ event and share the importance of Prayagraj to the rest of the world. This must be the blessings of our good deeds in the previous birth that we are a part of this grand event,” Yogi said.
Addressing the ‘swachhagrahis’, boatmen and sanitation workers and others, the CM said that they were the base of the grand event of Mahakumbh. Preparations for the Mahakumbh are in full swing. After the successful conclusion of the event from January 13 to February 26, he will come again to felicitate them, he said.
The Kumbh-2019 held under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was successful in projecting Prayagraj’s significance globally as a centre of spirituality and culture.
“We witnessed in 2019 that besides “divya and bhavya”, Kumbh can also be a symbol of cleanliness, security and good governance which enabled the pilgrims to receive spiritual peace,” Adityanath said.
By washing the feet of cleanliness workers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a message that they were the base and foundation stone of the ‘Swachh Kumbh’ and should be honoured, CM stated.
The CM said Mahakumbh will be held on a much large scale. The Mela area has been extended to 4000 hectares divided into 25 sectors. Parking area of 1850 hectares will be provided at a designated place. Fourteen flyovers and underpasses will come up, besides nine permanent concrete ghats, seven river front roads, 12 km of temporary ghats, 550 shuttle buses, 7000 roadways buses and seven bus stands.
All sewers and drains will be tapped and no waste will be allowed to fall into the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
Street art and wall murals are being painted in an area of 18 lakh square feet while four government hospitals and medical colleges are being uplifted, he added.
Adityanath said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Prayagraj on December 13 to inaugurate Mahakumbh projects worth ₹6500 crore.
Yogi offered prayers at religious sites of Prayagraj, including the Nagvasuki temple. He also performed aarti of Gangaputr Bhishm. He was accompanied by deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, urban development minister AK Sharma, Jal Shakti minister Swatantra Dev Singh, industrial development minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi
Leading the pledge for a clean Mahakumbh, the chief minister highlighted the works for ‘Swachh Kumbh’. He said 1.5 lakh toilets will be established for Mahakumbh, where 10000 sanitation workers will be deployed. There will be 1.60 lakh tents, double the number of Kumbh-2019. Thirty pontoon bridges, totaling a length of 300 kilometres, will be made while there will be 67000 streetlights. Besides 2000 solar hybrid lights, two new power sub stations and 66 new transformers are being installed. A drinking water pipeline of 1249 kilometers, 200 water ATMs and 85 tubewells will be established.
The Prayagraj Mela Authority signed an MoU with Google on the occasion to fullfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of a digital Kumbh on Wednesday. A digital tourism map of Prayagraj is being developed, which will enable pilgrims to navigate the routes to Sangam and reach their destinations in Mela area through their smartphones.
The chief minister also chaired a review meeting regarding the ongoing Mahakumbh-2025 projects. In a statement, he said that all preparations will be completed a month ahead of schedule by December 10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Prayagraj on December 13 to inaugurate several development projects.