Puri: Several holy ponds in the Pilgrim City here are in bad shape thanks to lack of renovation plans by the civic and district administration, said locals.
According to some concerned residents and intellectuals of the Holy city, Indradyumna, Markanda, Shewtaganga and Parvati Sagar ponds here have been the victims of administrative apathy for the last several years.
The walls of most of these holy ponds have caved in due to poor maintenance. Besides, sewage from the nearby areas is entering into these heritage water bodies, sources said. “The walls of Indradyumna pond had caved in several months ago. However, the municipal body of the city and the district administration did not take any step to repair the damaged walls,” said a local. Now, rainwater from the nearby areas is entering into the pond, he added.
Similarly, a portion of the wall at the north-east corner of Markanda pond collapsed a couple of months ago. However, the administration is yet to repair the damaged wall, locals said.
This apart, a portion of the wall of Parvati Sagar pond near Loknath temple had caved in at least two years ago. The authorities, however, have failed to renovate the pond despite repeated requests from the locals and devotees.
On the other hand, the walls of Shwetaganga pond are in a state of dilapidation. Locals are of the view that the walls will collapse if immediate steps are not taken to renovate the pond. It is worth mentioning here that many devotees often visit these holy ponds after paying obeisance to Lord Jagannath at Srimandir. Besides, hundreds of elderly women usually take bath in these holy ponds while observing Habisa in the Hindu month of Kartika.
Similarly, many people congregate at these heritage water bodies to offer Tila Tarpana to their ancestors during Mahalaya.
“The ponds like Indradyumna, Markanda and Shwetaganga have religious significance. These water bodies are the part and parcel of the rich cultural heritage of Puri. The state government and the district administration should take immediate steps to renovate the holy ponds,” said a city-based intellectual.
