Shipra river to be made pollution-free before 2028 Simhastha Kumbh: MP CM Yadav

Indore, Dec 29 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday said Shipra river will be made pollution-free ahead of the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, enabling millions of devotees to take a holy dip in its waters.The Simhastha Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years on the banks of the river in Ujjain, home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Shipra, which originates in the rural areas of Indore district, is regarded as a "mokshadayini" river as per Hindu belief.

Addressing the concluding ceremony of a Shrimad Bhagwat Katha programme at Chittoda village here, Yadav said devotees would bathe in the purged waters of the Shipra during the Simhastha Kumbh.

"For this, rainwater will be stored in a reservoir and released gradually into the Shipra, ensuring continuous flow in the river. Devotees also perform aachaman using the river water during the Simhastha Kumbh, making its purity extremely important," the CM said while asserting the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela would break all previous records.

The last Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain was held in 2016, during which the state government released water from the Narmada river into the Shipra through the Narmada-Shipra Simhastha Link Project, and devotees bathed in that water.

He said arrangements are being made to ensure devotees bathe in the Shipra’s own purified water during the next Simhastha Kumbh.

Officials said cleaning the Shipra remains a major challenge for the state government, and several saints have expressed concern over the issue.

Officials said polluted water from the Kanh and Saraswati rivers, which have turned into drains in Indore—India’s cleanest city—eventually flows into the Shipra, adding to its pollution.

They said a separate plan has been prepared to prevent polluted water from the Kanh and Saraswati rivers from entering the Shipra ahead of the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh Mela. PTI HWP LAL BNM