Prayagraj: With the Ganga having changed its course by shifting westwards, there is now less land left for the upcoming Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
The decrease in land that has to be allotted to seers and different religious organisations for the month long fair, has put the Mela authorities in a piquant situation.
Water carpenters, known as ‘Bind-Mallaha’, have been asked to make crates with bamboo and place the same at carefully selected points at the banks where the river is causing erosion.
The JCB will be pressed into service which is making points for fixing the crates to check the erosion.
What is making erosion a major problem this year is the increased water level in the river, compared to previous years.
The Magh Mela, is an annual religious festival held in the month of Magh (January/February) near riverbanks and sacred tanks near Hindu temples.
Every 12 years, Magha Melas turns into the Kumbh Mela.
Lakhs of devotees camp on the banks of the rivers and take a holy dip every day while religious outfits and sects set up their camps on the river banks during the period.
