Ganga canal to remain open

The Ganga canal, which provides drinking and irrigation water to vast areas of western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, would not be closed during summer.

The decision came following a series of high-level meetings between the top officials of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, sources here said.

The Uttar Pradesh Irrigation department, which controls the Ganga canal, wanted to close it for constructing a bridge in Haridwar in view of the coming Kumbh mela.

However, the move was strongly opposed by sadhus and purohits of Haridwar as well as farmers of western Uttar Pradesh, who were up in arms against closure of the canal especially during the summer season.

When contacted, Uttarakhand chief secretary Indu Kumar Pandey confirmed that the canal would not be closed for at least one month. “People need irrigation and drinking water. Keeping in view the rising temperature, the canal would not be closed,” Pandey said. But he made it clear the final decision regarding the closure of the canal rests on Uttar Pradesh.

Ram Kumar Mishra, president of the Ganga Sabha at Haridwar, had protested the Uttar Pradesh government’s move to close the Ganga canal at Har-Ki-Pauri. The summer season is very crucial as far pilgrims and business community at Haridwar is concerned, said Mishra.

The business community at Haridwar also burnt an effigy of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati in protest against the closure.