'Too polluted': Lucknow devotees refuse to take holy dip in Gomti river on occasion of Makar Sankranti

Lucknow: Scores of devotees from across the country refused to perform sacred ablutions in Gomti river on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on Monday due to the presence of toxins in the water. [caption id=“attachment_5892661” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The Gomti river in Uttar Pradesh. ANI[/caption] Expressing disappointment, a local resident Vishal Rastogi said, “There is a dire need for the state government to come up with a solution soon to clean the Gomti river. The water of this river has turned dark. Merely giving speeches on the cleanliness drive is not enough.” Another resident, Shailesh Kumar, told ANI: “Earlier 7,000 to 8,000 people used to come every year here to perform rituals. After the river got polluted, all of us have stopped coming here. The government must do something about it. Earlier, people used to come here in large numbers for boating. However, the leisure activity has been stopped due to the presence of toxins in the water.” The holy water of the river plays a major role in performing Hindu rituals. After offering prayers to the deities, people often take a dip in the holy water to absolve themselves of sins. Gomti, which is also popularly known as the lifeline of Lucknow city, is fast becoming polluted as people residing in the region have piled up filth from Kudiya Ghat to Tulsi Ghat through which the river flows. Moreover, there has been very little flow of fresh water into the river due to the presence of plastic waste in the holy water.