‘Remain vigilant during Ashadi Ekadashi at Pandharpur’: Bombay HC tells Solapur district collector, other authorities

“(In respect of) any untoward incident, security issues, any incident on the ghats, not only the Kumbhar ghat but also other places, you (Collector and other authorities) have to be very very vigilant. Please convey this order to the Collector and other officials. Otherwise he will be personally held responsible,” the bench orally told Government Pleader Priyabhushan P Kakade.

A division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar was hearing a PIL by petitioner-lawyer Ajinkya Sangitrao, argued through advocate Rakesh Bhatkar, raising grievances over the work order issued to contractors for construction of ghats — from Vipra Datta Ghat to Uddhav Ghat — at Pandharpur.

The petitioner cited the October 2020 incident of collapse of a 20-feet wall of the under-construction ghat, which led to loss of six lives and sought direction to the authorities to ensure safety of pilgrims. The Irrigation department submitted that no unwarranted incidents took place in the last two years due to precautions taken by the government.

Warkaris, a sect within the bhakti spiritual tradition, gather in large numbers twice a year — on Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadashi — and take part in the festivals held at the Vitthal Rukmini temple.

The court perused an affidavit filed through executive engineer of the department concerned referring to measures ensuring security of warkaris and stated that the Kumbhar ghat has been barricaded by the Irrigation department and sign boards cautioning pilgrims have also been put up. Additional security guards have also been employed round-the-clock at the spot, the affidavit mentioned.

Besides this, the government submitted that the Revenue department has put its machinery in motion so that safety of pilgrims, cleanliness, medical facilities, temporary shades and toilets are provided.

After the state government submitted that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for disaster management for the entire Wari period is being implemented, the bench noted, “We expect that no untoward incident shall occur during the pilgrimage this year. We may reiterate that the executive engineer concerned and collector shall put their all-out efforts to ensure that all adequate and appropriate measures for security of pilgrims are put in place and amenities are also ensured to these pilgrims.”

The Court also directed the government to complete construction of the Kumbhar ghat by the end of the year as submitted by the authority.

Granting two-week time to the petitioner to file a detailed reply to the state’s affidavit, the bench posted the matter for further hearing to August 14