Pilgrimage Site in Karnataka Faces Severe Pollution Crisis
The sacred town of Ganagapur in Kalaburagi district, renowned for its Dattatreya temple, has transformed into a distressing dumping ground for used clothes and garbage. Devotees visiting this major pilgrimage center are discarding garments after performing holy baths, leading to heaps of clothes strewn across the area. Compounding the issue, many pilgrims resort to open defecation along the banks of the Bhima and Amarja rivers, where essential rituals are conducted.
Unhygienic Conditions Shock Visitors
Jagadeesha Arakalgud, a devotee from Bengaluru who visited Ganagapur on February 22, expressed his astonishment at the appalling conditions. "It was my first visit after a suggestion by our cousins. We approached the chief minister and other authorities, seeking better cleanliness measures," he shared. "The pilgrimage center attracts lakhs of visitors from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and other states. Although water is good in the middle, we cannot even walk on the bank, as it is filthy." The absence of adequate toilet facilities forces pilgrims to complete their rituals amid these unhygienic surroundings, raising significant health and environmental concerns.
Root Causes and Administrative Challenges
Vallabh Dinkar Bhatt Pujari, a priest at the Shree Khetra Ganagapur Dattatreya temple, highlighted several underlying problems. "Since the river bank belongs to private persons, the administration was helpless to take any action," he explained. Devotees also contribute to the littering, often following advice from astrologers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana who recommend dumping clothes for five full-moon days to ward off bad luck. "Following their suggestion, devotees dump their clothes here, while there is no mechanism to handle such waste," Pujari added.
He further noted that the local stretch of the river lacks flowing water, being backwater from the Ganagapur bridge-cum-barrage, and local drainage water merges into the river at Chakreshwar Tirtha and Rudrapada Tirtha. "There is a need for comprehensive action to mitigate all these issues," he emphasized.
Infrastructure Deficiencies and Development Plans
The situation has worsened post-Covid pandemic, with a surge in visitor numbers without corresponding improvements in facilities. Pujari mentioned that priests' families vacated their homes on temple premises decades ago to create an access road, yet infrastructure remains inadequate. "Devotees are not sensitized to avoid littering even at the ashta tirthas, located in a 4km stretch," he said, adding that daily pujas and rituals at 3 am, 12 noon, and 7 pm continue despite these challenges.
In response, authorities are taking steps to address the crisis. Ramalinga Reddy, the Muzrai Minister from Bengaluru, stated after a recent visit, "We found there is only a 20ft road at a place where lakhs of devotees visit. During our visit, we found that land is unavailable for any development work." He revealed plans to acquire 2.2 acres from private owners and 13 acres from the government to develop a master plan. "We told the Kalaburagi DC and other officials to prepare a master plan for the development of the Ganagapur pilgrimage center. All MLAs of Kalaburagi district approached us in this regard," Reddy said. The temple's annual income of only Rs 3-4 crore poses financial constraints, but priority is given to acquiring land between the temple and the river, with the master plan slated for completion by the next assembly session.
