HARIDWAR, INDIA, April 16, 2006: Devotees bathing in the Ganga are worried about the decreasing water level of the river. They claim that the construction of the Tehri Dam in Uttaranchal (now being filed) has contributed to this development. People, who have come here from various parts of the country, experienced difficulty while having a bath on the occasion of Baisakhi. “There is no fun in bathing here. We have to collect water, instead of having a dip. It is inconvenient and doesn’t satiate our feelings,” said Surinder Soni, a Ludhiana resident. Besides the decreasing water levels, devotees are also concerned about the unhygienic conditions that prevail at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar. “The holy River Ganga provides employment to the people. It is a means to attain salvation. People have no existence without the Ganga. The river is not getting adequate water due to the construction of the Tehri Dam, which is obstructing flow. The sentiments of the devotees are affected when they watch the polluted Ganga. We informed about this to Home Minister Shivraj Patil on March 16. We requested him to provide water to the Ganga. He said that he will convey our message to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Ganga is the backbone of agriculture and the economy of this state. Life is impossible without this river. Since it has no water, development is at stake. The Chief Minister, Narayan Dutt Tiwari, talks so much about the development of the state. I would like to say that without basic necessities like water we can achieve nothing. The development of the Ganga should be foremost,” said Mahamandaleshwar Swami Hansdas, member of the Juna Akhara.
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