Ujjain : The Chief Minister had launched the Kshipra Purification drive multiplied with labour of a cabinet minister every Sunday, as measure to attract the masses, about the pity condition of Kshipra.
But, the drive has become a mere photo opportunity for both ministers and local leaders. The Sunhari ghat on the banks of Kshipra, on Sunday witnessed presence of third cabinet minister-Antar Singh Arya and it was the same melody of minister holding ‘Tagari’ and volley of photographers clicking continuous shots. Arya was the third cabinet minister to perform Shramdan (impart labour), the Kshipra purification scheme. Prior to him Animal Husbandry and PHED Minister Kusum Mehdele and PWD Minister Sartaj Singh, have performed Shramdan at the same Sunhari ghat. Now the residents witnessing the whole drama at the ghat were confused with the ongoing conditions. They queried, “How many times they are going to clean the same ghat?”
The Kshipra bank stretches from Triveni Ghat to Kaliadeh Palace and still the old locations are being cleaned. Also the alleged cleaning done by the volunteers and politicos is the cleaning of Ghats steps and dried up debris, left on the banks. The CM had started the initiative as direct interaction of public and minister, but now the real motto of attaching the strings with public has come out. But the real work is little made on Kshipra, still the years of silt settled in Kshipra bed needs to be removed. Executive Engineer, Water Resources Department Yogendra Giri said, “The silt removal has stopped as the river was filled again for the holy bath of Somvati Amavasya. The cleaning is being made on the banks. Chances for restart of silt removal drive are thin, as the Shivaratri and other bathing dates are nearing by”. On being asked about the target of silt removal from the river bed, he said, around 50 percent of the targeted silt was removed; still the remaining half is lying in the river.
