Rs 700cr infra push for Kumbh 2027, control room blg among key projects

Haridwar: Major infrastructure projects, including a new Central Control Room (CCR) building to manage the Kumbh Mela 2027 and other festivals, are being planned under the mela budget. Around Rs 500 crore has been sanctioned by the Union govt for the event, with an additional Rs 200 crore expected from the state govt. Officials said on Monday that, in addition to the CCR building, four major bridges, a Ganga museum, police barracks and 5 km of riverbank development are being taken up.Additional mela officer Dayanand Saraswati said, "Around Rs 500 crore will be spent on permanent infrastructure, including a new CCR tower in the Rodibelwala area with a rooftop helipad. Four major bridges are being built at a cost of Rs 40 crore, while nearly Rs 50 crore will go towards constructing 5.5 km of riverbanks. Police barracks, the Ganga museum and other projects will begin soon. Apart from that, over Rs 150 crore will be spent on road development across the Kumbh region, including Haridwar and Rishikesh."Bairagi Camp, one of the key holding areas during the Kumbh, will be connected to Daksh Deep Kankhal to ease crowd management, officials added. Separately, around Rs 200 crore will be spent on road development and upgrading drinking water facilities, while about Rs 140 crore has been allocated for sanitation works, including deployment of sanitation workers during the mela.The administration said the tender process for the Har-ki-Pauri revitalisation project, estimated at Rs 48 crore, has been completed, while around Rs 70 crore will be spent on beautification works.While officials maintained that most projects will be completed before the mela with "no compromise on quality", residents have raised concerns. Social activist RM Dobhal said, "Quality has always been a major issue in Kumbh Mela works and it remains the biggest challenge for the administration this time as well."