Haridwar, July 22 -- With the Shravan Kanwar yatra reaching its peak, millions of kanwars, which are traditional decorated bamboo structures used by Kanwariyas to carry water, are being dumped into the Ganga in Haridwar, raising alarm among environmentalists, spiritual leaders, and local authorities over the increasing river pollution and obstruction of the natural water flow. Every year during the Shravan month, millions of devotees from across northern India undertake the Kanwar yatra, walking long distances to fetch water from the Ganga and offer it to Lord Shiva. The Kanwars, often ornately decorated with colourful fabric, flags, and symbols, hold deep religious significance during the journey. However, once the pilgrimage concludes, these bamboo structures are discarded into the river, particularly from bridges and ghats around the iconic Har-ki-Pauri, and NH-58 and NH-72. The discarded Kanwars often accumulate along the ghats and become entangled in the regulators of the Ganga Barrage, obstructing water flow and posing significant challenges to the region's water management systems. The increasing volume of bamboo waste also creates an unpleasant sight along the otherwise scenic riverfront, littering ghat stairs, barrages, and canal bridges. "This annual practice is not just polluting the Ganga, but also interfering with the ecological and operational balance of the river," a senior official of the Ganga Conservation Committee said requesting anonymity. Mahant Ravindra Puri, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad and Mata Mansa Devi Temple Trust, urged devotees not to pollute the river. "The Kanwar pilgrimage is a sacred journey meant for purification and devotion. The significance lies in carrying Ganga water, not in abandoning Kanwars in the river," he said....