Heavy rainfall triggers wall collapse at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar; no injuries reported

Heavy rainfall has triggered a wall collapse at the Har Ki Pauri in the holy town of Haridwar on Monday night. No injuries were reported. According to a report in Times Now, lightning struck near the Brahmakund at Har Ki Pauri, following which a transformer got ignited and the wall collapsed. The report added that due to the transformer getting damaged, the power supply of the area was also disrupted. Shri Ganga Sabha volunteers have barricaded the area and begun operations to clear the site. Pilgrims have been barred from going towards the Brahmakund as a precautionary measure as well. Hindustan Times reported that Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad and Ganga Sabha have demanded an inquiry into the incident at the religious site. Mahant Narendra Giri, president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad was quoted as saying that the Akhada Parishad demands an inquiry into the incident. He added that the Mahakumbh is just five months away, and so construction of a stronger outer wall and related infrastructure work should be carried out to ensure safety of pilgrims and Har Ki Pauri personnel. Former municipal chairperson SatpalBrahamchari alleged that the cave in was due to pressure from rain water that had accumulated due to uncovered digging work to lay power cables and piped natural gas lines. Har Ki Pauri is famed for its evening ‘Ganga Arti’ that people from across the country come to witness. Torrential rains have caused havoc elsewhere in the hill state of Uttarakhand. On Monday, five people were killed after their houses were flattened, when a huge amount of water with stones and mud came down the hills following a cloud burst in the state’s Pithoragarh district.