Simhastha-Kumbh: 1,500 makeshift houses to be cleared from catchment areas of Kanh, Saraswati rivers

Indore: Ahead of the Simhastha-Kumbh Mela in 2028 in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain, the authorities in Indore have decided to remove about 1,500 encroaching makeshift houses in the catchment areas of the Kanh and Saraswati rivers, an official has said.

The decision is a part of the campaign to make the Kshipra River pollution-free, the official said.

Simhastha Mela is held in Ujjain every 12 years. Tens of thousands of Hindus take a holy dip in Kshipra during Simhastha in Ujjain. According to Hindu scriptures, Kshipra originated from the heart of Varaha, the boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

“In the first phase, about 1,500 kuccha houses encroached upon the catchment area of the Kanh and Saraswati rivers will be removed,” Indore Collector Ashish Singh told reporters here on Thursday.

He said that the work of shifting the people from the catchment areas, some of whom have been served notices, has been affected due to rains. It will be taken up in the next five to ten days, the collector said.

Singh said that the National Green Tribunal and MP High Court have already passed directions for clearing the encroachment up to 30 metres from the banks of the rivers in the area.

Officials said the administration has identified around 3,000 encroachments in the catchment areas of both rivers in Indore. In addition to makeshift houses, these also include permanent residential and commercial buildings, they said.

The Shipra River, which originates from the rural areas of Indore, flows to Ujjain. However, in the country's cleanest city, Indore, the highly polluted waters from the Kanh and Saraswati flow into the Shipra, further contributing to its pollution.

Locals have reported that due to heavy pollution, the water of the Shipra in Ujjain is not even suitable for ‘achaman’ (ritual sipping).

To rid Kshipra of pollution before the Simhastha, the Indore administration has prepared a blueprint for a Rs 600-crore rejuvenation plan. This includes setting up 11 new sewage treatment plants (STPs) and laying a 450-km-long sewage line.