111-km Kanwar Marg project may take two years time to complete

Ghaziabad: City residents may not get relief from Kanwar Yatra diversions soon as the proposed 111-kilometre Kanwar Marg, linking Muradnagar to Purkaji near the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border, will take another two years to get complete once the forest clearances are obtained.

The proposed road is slotted to connect the two points alongside the Upper Ganga Canal, which presently has thick vegetation. It is also projected as an alternative route for kanwariyas from Haridwar who take the Delhi-Meerut Road to travel back home during the Kanwar Yatra season.

The proposed route will connect the three districts of Ghaziabad, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar.

In the absence of any alternate route from Haridwar, kanwariyas use the Delhi-Meerut Road, which is presently shut for traffic and major diversions for commuters have already been put in place.

The district administration last week also directed the closure of schools and colleges due to the annual yatra.

“The closure of schools and diversions has been witnessed for many years now and the entire city comes to standstill during the Kanwar Yatra season. Local as well as long-distance commuters are the worst sufferers as they have to travel additional kilometres and also have to bear traffic jams. This has become a yearly feature in the absence of any alternative route for kanwariyas,” said Akash Vashishtha, a Ghaziabad-based environmentalist.

“Thousands of industrial units in areas across Ghaziabad, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar suffer badly for almost a week during the Kanwar Yatra season. Industrial production, arrival of staff and movement of transport is held up for one week as there is no alternative route. The Eastern Peripheral Expressway and Delhi-Meerut Expressway have provided some relief but the conditions generally prevail every season,” said Rakesh Aneja, chairperson of Indian Industries Association’s Ghaziabad chapter.

The proposed ₹658 crore Kanwar Marg project is to be taken up by UP public works department (PWD) and the funding will be provided by the state government.

“Presently, the proposal has been sent to the Centre for required forest clearances as the area is a protected forest area along the Ganga canal. Once the requisite clearances are received, the project will take about two years time to complete,” said a PWD official seeking anonymity.

Officials expect around three million kanwariyas to pass through Ghaziabad in the ongoing season.

“The Kanwar Marg project is in the pipeline. Presently, the rush of kanwariyas is manageable but we are expecting a huge rush from Sunday night till the end of the yatra. Many kanwariyas may not enter Ghaziabad city and will take the Muradnagar pipeline road or other roads to go to their respective homes,” said Vipin Kumar, additional district magistrate (city).