PUNE: Members of warkari (a pilgrim sect) organisations in the temple towns of Dehu and Alandi are hopeful that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce a 'Namami Gange'-like project for the development of Indrayani river during his visit on Tuesday.
"We will discuss the Indrayani river development plan during our interaction with the Prime Minister on Tuesday. The ghat areas of the river should be developed to provide necessary facilities to the warkaris in Dehu and Alandi," Sanjay More, one of the trustees of the Jagadguru Shri Sant Tukaram Maharaj Dehu Trust, told TOI on Monday.
In 2008, the warkari organisations and the temple trustees had staged a 'bhajan' protest outside the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) seeking measures to prevent the release of industrial waste into the river in the Kudalwadi and Chikhali areas. The PCMC, however, did little to address the issue, they alleged.
Ajit Kulkarni, a former chief trustee of the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj temple, said, "The Centre has improved the annual palkhi procession route to Pandharpur in Solapur district. The government also needs to construct appropriate infrastructure for the warkaris to rest along the route. Besides, the state and central governments can construct the ghats at Dehu and Alandi on the lines of Haridwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand."
Trustees of the Dehu trust said they have set up a pandal on 5-acre land in the Dehu Road cantonment limit for the PM's function. "We expect to see a large gathering of warkaris from across the state. The trust will provided them food and parking facilities," Nitin More, the chief trustee of the Dehu trust, said.
After inaugurating the temple on the bank of the Indrayani river, the PM will go to the pandal site, which is about 2km away, More said.
The Pimpri Chinchwad police commissionerate has restricted attendees from carrying purses, bags, water bottles, electronic gadgets or remotely operated keys of vehicles, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Anand Bhoite said, adding, "People should also reach the function venue by 1pm with valid identity proof."
