Excelsior Correspondent
REASI, May 25: The ongoing COVID-19 lockdown for the last more than two months has given a new lift to holy Ban Ganga rivulet in Katra town, the base camp for Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage.
Ban Ganga rivulet, which flows through the Katra town, is considered as holy by Hindu devotees who come to Katra for Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage and many of them take bath here before continuing their onward journey to the cave shrine.
In the changed times, many pilgrims were preferring to skip the traditional bath as the holy rivulet had virtually turned into a sewer canal before the COVID lockdown was enforced.
However, the closure of pilgrimage to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and the lockdown led to an improvement in water quality as wastes and effluents are not being discharged into it for the last more than two months.
“As pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi is closed due to the lockdown, the Ban Ganga is looking cleaner these days,” said a local resident of Katra, adding the stoppage of pilgrimage and waste has definitely shown a positive effect on water quality.
“The improvement during this period hints that there is a chance for the Ban Ganga to get cleaned up easily if the people, Shrine Board and the Government come together,” locals said.
Another Katra resident said he usually comes to the river banks for practicing Yoga and physical exercise and has seen a drastic improvement since the lockdown was imposed. “The water in the Ban Ganga looks much cleaner nowadays,” he added.
“The lockdown has put millions in the disadvantage and difficulties – and yet, there is a reason to celebrate. Over two month of the nationwide lockdown, air and water pollution levels of Katra have shrunk and the wildlife is free,” opined the locals adding that Covid 19 seems to prove as the Nature Vaccine.
Former MLA Reasi, Advocate Ajay Nanda also said that lockdown is an opportunity provided by the nature to address long pending demand of Katra residents and pilgrims to clean Banganga river. He further request Lt Governor G C Murmu and CEO Shrine Board to take advantage of this lockdown and redress this long pending demand of cleaning Ban Ganga. Rajesh Sharma Manager Ban Ganga, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, informed that under the guidance and close supervision of CEO SMVDSB, a team of Shrine Board is also continuously working to clean Ban Ganga and Ghats. “We have almost done the cleaning of Ban Ganga river flowing here and hopeful we will see a new Ban Ganga river after the lockdown,” he added.
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