Title - Jhusi seeks salvation ahead of Mahakumbh

ALLAHABAD: Even as the policy makers, both in the state and at the Centre boast of leaving no stone unturned to make the forthcoming Mahakumbh a grand success, the ground situation of an major approach railway station which serves as a vital transit point for lakhs of devotees paints a gloomy picture. Coming from Eastern UP to the Sangam City is perceived as a litmus test for officials associated with making arrangements for one of the largest human assemblies of the world.Jhusi station of the North-Eastern Railway, which is on the other side of Ganga is seen as the entry point of the city. The station would witness sea of devotees coming to bath in holy Sangam during Mahakumbh in the first three months of 2013. Although at the time of Magh Mela, lakhs of devotees prefer to get down at this particular station, but once the hype of Mela subsides, this vital entry point of the city goes into oblivion from the minds of everyone, including the railway authorities and policy makers.To present the actual picture of the ground conditions of this station, TOI visited the silent and barren railway station, and fond that the railway station does not have basic amenities, which one would expect in Allahabad. The barren platform hardly serves any purpose of the limited number of passengers who get down at this station, because of its low height and for most of passengers, vendors and for that matter even the railway authorities, the station buzzes with activities only when a train stops, many of which halts for giving way to other train, as there is single line between Jhusi and Allahabad Junction.

The lone platform of the station was serving more as resting place for various persons sleeping on the benches. The facility of drinking water is equally pathetic, as taps are virtually absent and it is clearly written "Mela prayog ke liye" (to be used only during mela). The platform is equally shared by men and animal, and goats freely roam on the platform and sharing selected amenities with public. The drinking water platform, which is devoid of drinking water for most of the hours has fungal growth in the surrounding and is enough to narrate the story of official negligence. Even the entry point of the station along with surroundings is in a dilapidated state, as dense wild bushes dominate the surroundings. One can witness the dilapidated building, which is used for providing tickets to meet out the heavy rush of passengers during Magh Mela. "No one is bothered about the amenities at the station, which buzzes with hectic activities during Mela," said one of the local.

Not only the amenities at the station, even the approach road coming from ADA Colony is in pathetic state, as one would see only boulders with no signs of bituminous over it. The condition of the road is so horrible that commuters prefer to travel on the sides and barely use the road. With no street lights, the roads at night, the surroundings are a safe haven for thieves and there had been many incidents of snatching and looting from the passengers coming at night.

Likewise, the station too is used by gamblers and drug abusers with no interference by the authorities.

Commenting on the current scenario, station superintendent Anil Kumar Pandey said, "We would be opening 24 booking counters during Mahakumbh and lay seven tracks to handle special trains that would be run to cater to the needs of lakhs of devotees coming to Allahabad during Mahakumbh." Although the officer accepted that there is lot to do for revamping the facilities, which remain at the station even after the mela is over.