HARIDWAR/RISHIKESH: Lakhs of devotees converged at Haridwar on Sunday, leading to significant traffic snarls as devotees gathered for a holy dip in the Ganga on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra.
The higher-than-usual footfall, besides pilgrim traffic for the ongoing Char Dham yatra season, and the ongoing summer tourist rush, led to a pile-up of vehicles which stretched for several kilometres.
Several commuters had a tough time navigating the jams. Pankaj Sharma, who had come with his parents from Delhi, said, “We were stuck on the road for over five hours. The traffic was inching extremely slowly. We didn’t realise that the situation would be so bad.” Police declared areas around Har-ki-Pauri a zero-zone to ensure smooth access for pilgrims to the main Ganga ghat. Parking facilities were arranged at various locations for vehicles entering the city, but all parking points were packed, leading many to park their cars on the highway.
SP (traffic) Pankaj Gaiola said, “Traffic congestion occurred mainly due to the Ganga Dussehra bathing festival and the weekend. Many vehicles had been moving to Rishikesh from Haridwar, which added to the congestion.” SP (city) Swatantra Kumar said, “Over 16 lakh pilgrims took a holy dip in the Ganga.” However, sources said the estimated number of devotees exceeded 20 lakh devotees.
Ganga Sabha general secretary Tanmaya Vashisht said, “The turnout was massive and unprecedented for Ganga Dussehra. Traffic jams were even seen on flyovers. With the extended weekend and Nirjala Ekadashi falling on Tuesday, we expect the influx to continue for another couple of days.”
The Ganga Sabha organised special prayers of the Ganga at noon, followed by aarti. “The only other occasion such prayers are performed is on Ganga Saptami, considered the holy river’s birthday,” Vashisht added.
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