Bhopal:Tuesday, April 22:A committee has been constituted comprising officers of concerning departments for development of Parikrama Path of Narmada river and for providing facilities to the pilgrims undertaking the Parikrama. Divisional Forest Officer Shri Pankaj Shrivastava would be the member-secretary of the committee. It would chalk out an action plan for construction of the Parikrama Path.This decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan here at Mantralaya today. Prominent among those who attended the meeting included the vice president of Madhya Pradesh Jan Abhiyan Parishad Shri Anil Madhav Dave; Minister for Panchayats and Rural Development Shri Rustam Singh; Minister for Medical Education Dr. Gaurishankar Shejwar; Minister for Scheduled Castes Welfare Shri Jagdish Dewada; Secretary, Culture Shri Manoj Shrivastava; Secretary, Finance Shri A.P. Shrivastava; Secretary, Rural Development Shri Wasim Akhtar; Commissioner, Bhopal division Shri Pukhraj Maru; Secretaries to the Chief Minister Shri S.K. Mishra and Shri S.P.S. Parihar and others.
The Chief Minister said that the Narmada is our cultural heritage and her de-pollution would rid the Paraikramavais of their sufferings. Shri Chouhan said that work of river conservation would be taken up on a large scale and it would begin with the Narmada.
The Narmada is the only river in the country whose Parikrama is done. A large portion of traditional Parikrama Path has come under submergence due to construction of Sardar Sarovar, Omkareshwar, Rani Avantibai dams and proposed Maheshwar dam. The state government has decided to construct the Narmada Parikrama Path keeping in view the convenience of the pilgrims. Various facilities for stay and food would be provided along the proposed path for the convenience of the pilgrims.
There was a consensus at the meeting that suitable construction works should be carried out at low cost without tempering with the environment and a plan be drawn up for developing greenery along the Narmada. It would also check the erosion on the riverbanks.
Representatives of the Narmada Valley Development Authority, Urban Administration and Development department, divisional commissioner, Pollution Control Board, Science and Technology department and Rural Development department also attended the meeting.