On the eve of Makar Sankranti, many devotees refused to take a dip in the sacred Gomti river of Uttar Pradesh because of the rising pollution level in it, ANI reported.
Gomti is the lifeline of the city of Lucknow, however, with garbage piled up from the Tulsi ghat to the Kudiya Ghat the toxin level in the water is on rising. A devotee told the news agency that the devotees throw flowers into the river, even after the government has asked them not to. “The state government should have cleaned the river ahead of Makar Sankranti,” he complained.
The water of the river, which is used to perform Hindu rituals has reportedly turned black due to pollution. The devotees after offering prayers, usually take a dip in the river after offering prayers to wash away sins.
A resident of the area told ANI that, nearly 7,000 to 8,000 people used to come to the river every year to perform rituals, however, most of them have stopped now. Earlier even people used to come to the river for boating, which has also been stopped due to the high level of pollutants, the resident further added.