Cleaning begins at Durga ghat in Vijayawada

Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthnam has taken up cleaning works at Durga ghat here on Friday (June 6).  Kanaka Durga temple Executive Officer V.K. Seenanayak inspected the ghat and its surroundings on Friday.

The EO noticed that there was no proper dress-changing facility for women. Contaminated water from the dressing areas was flowing back to the river. Absence of signboards for restrooms, accumulation of mud on the steps, unregulated use of shampoo and soaps by devotees and hawkers overstepping the areas permitted for their business and causing congestion for visitors were some of the problems identified by him.

He said devotees visiting Kanaka Durga temple take a holy dip at Durga Ghat before proceeding uphill for darshan.  However, the conditions at Durga Ghat, where thousands of devotees bathe daily, are not satisfactory.

The EO remarked that devotees assess the cleanliness of the entire hill temple based on the condition at Durga Ghat. Therefore, the cleaner the ghat, the better the perception of the temple’s overall hygiene. In light of this, Mr. Seenanayak emphasised that both the sanitation and engineering departments must pay special attention to maintaining cleanliness and orderliness at the ghat.

The EO instructed the engineering staff to resolve these issues immediately and to submit an action-taken report. In compliance, Deputy Executive Engineer Ravindranath Tagore supervised clean-up operations at Durga Ghat on Friday.

As part of the efforts, measures were taken to prevent bathwater from re-entering the river. Mud was removed from the steps, directional and informative signboards were installed and hawkers regulated. Public announcements through loudspeakers were arranged to discourage use of shampoo and soap in the river, according to a press release.

Published - June 06, 2025 06:54 pm IST