BHUBANESWAR: Waste water, especially the discharge from Ananda Bazaar, has emerged as a threat to the Meghanada Prachira of Shree Jagannath temple in Puri, slowly damaging the 12th-century shrine’s boundary wall made of laterite and sandstone blocks.
The absence of a proper channel to drain out water from the shrine premises has resulted in ingress into the Meghanada Prachira on three sides of the boundary wall - east, north and west. At the south, a pipe system is in place to discard waste water through ‘Magara Muha’.
For the convenience of devotees visiting the 12th-century shrine, the temple administration has installed RO systems, one each at the drinking water points in the south and north sides besides the premises of Ananda Bazaar where thousands of devotees partake ‘Mahaprasad’ everyday.
The existing old drainage channel (dry masonry) in Ananda Bazaar has been lying in a dilapidated condition for a long time and is unable to drain out excess water from the RO system along with the tap water used to wash hands by devotees before and after partaking the ‘Mahaprasad’.
While there are water points in the north, east and south parts of the boundary wall, there is a washroom for sevayats on the west side which they use to wash their hands and legs before entering the shrine. Drainage channels near every water point in all the directions of Meghanada Prachira except south are damaged and need to be repaired or reconstructed failing which, percolation of water into the boundary wall cannot be stopped, sources said. The responsibility of the shrine and Meghanada Prachira’s protection, preservation and conservation lies with the ASI while devotees' amenities and drainage are looked after by the temple administration.
ASI Puri circle head DB Gadnayak said the matter has been taken up with the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in the past. In August this year, the ASI had written to the temple administrator (development) to take steps for the water leakage from the walls of Meghanada Prachira on east, west and north sides alongside the damaged drain, washroom and pipeline.
A tender was called by the temple administration for the purpose but could not be finalised. Temple administrator Arvind Padhee said there are six drainage channels on the shrine premises which have already been cleaned for smooth flow of waste water. The works section of the temple has been directed to go ahead with temporary measures to address the drainage issues, particulary at Ananda Bazaar.
“Structural safety of the shrine is our utmost priority. Since permanent repair and restoration works for the drainage system are required, it will be done through another tender process. Also, ASI has been asked to immediately look into the safety of Meghanada Prachira and SJTA will extend all help for the purpose,” Padhee said.