Haridwar, Oct 21 The Ganga canal at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar has been shut down for the next 18 days for annual maintenance and repair work, officials said on Wednesday.
The closure came into effect on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, with water flow scheduled to resume around midnight between November 7 and 8, just ahead of Diwali.
Water flow was halted at Bhimgoda Barrage near Haridwar, leaving the canal, which extends to Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, dry.
Although Har Ki Pauri is in Uttarakhand, the Ganga Canal network is managed by the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department.
Bharat Bhushan, Sub Divisional Officer (Headworks) of the UP Irrigation Department, told PTI that the annual closure allows for cleaning, as well as necessary repairs and maintenance along the canal’s route to Kanpur.
Additionally, with the ‘Ardh Kumbh’ Mela approaching in Haridwar early next year, various departments are currently engaged in both permanent and temporary infrastructure projects, which will be sped up during the closure period, he said.
During the suspension, approximately 200 cusecs of water will be made available at Har Ki Pauri for the aarti ceremony, he added.
Uttarakhand Irrigation Department’s Executive Engineer Vikas Tyagi told PTI that the yearly shutdown was necessary to detect hidden damage that may go unnoticed while the canal is running.
“Every year, the Upper Ganga Canal is temporarily closed for annual maintenance. The primary objective is to identify hidden issues or damage within the system that may go unnoticed while the canals remain operational throughout the year. Therefore, we inspect the entire system annually, identify any damage or issues, and complete the necessary work. This ensures that the canal system can continue to operate smoothly for the following year,” he added.
With the canal closed, residents in the Delhi-NCR region are likely to face a shortage of water supply.
The closure is expected to significantly affect farming in western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-NCR, where the canal is considered a lifeline for farmers.
Pilgrims arriving in Haridwar were also left disappointed by the dry canal.
(PTI News)
