Haridwar: Currently, the Upper Ganga Canal in Haridwar is closed for annual cleaning, revealing a railway track-like structure at its bottom. This discovery has sparked curiosity among locals, wondering whether a train once ran on this track or if it serves a different purpose.
Absence of water at Har-ki-Pauri and VIP Ghats in Haridwar sparked a curiosity among people about things revealed at the bottom. A railway track at the Ganga ghat which is 3km away from Haridwar station making people claim about a train movement on this track before the construction of Ghats.
हरकी पैड़ी गंगा जल के नीचे निकला रेलवे ट्रैक
यहाँ पर हर साल दिवाली से पहले गंगाजल को रोककर घाट की सफाई करी जाती है #jaigangamaiya #reelsinstagram #incredibleindia #reelvideos #reels #jhalkodelhi #haridwar #jhalkoshorts pic.twitter.com/RXjyoWfizr— Prerna Ek Disha Foundation (@Prerna_Ek_Disha) October 16, 2024
Hand carts on these tracks carried bricks, mortar, and other materials
Uttarakhand Irrigation Department Junior Engineer, Harish Prasad, confirmed the presence of railway tracks used to transport construction materials for the ghats, barrage, and canals during the 1850s when heavy vehicles weren’t available. He explained that during the construction of the Ganga Canal, hand carts on these tracks carried bricks, cement, and other materials. After the completion of the dam and embankment from Bhimgoda Barrage to Dam Kothi, British officers used these carts for inspections.
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History behind this track
After the devastating Agra famine of 1837-38, which resulted in nearly 800,000 deaths, the British recognized the urgent need for an irrigation system in parts of Uttar Pradesh. Then, Colonel Proby Cautley had suggested that a 500-kilometer canal from Haridwar was feasible to meet the water requirement. Consequently, digging began in April 1842. Due to the lack of infrastructure, Cautley had to build a track for handcarts to carry bricks and mortar for construction. According to some historians, it was built under the supervision of Engineer Kotle. The tracks are a reminder of British era technology and the importance of the Ganga Canal, which was a major project of Lord Dalhousie. The tracks are visible when the Ganga Canal is closed for maintenance annually by the UP-Irrigation Department.
Possibility of kid’s train track
According to some people, there used to be ‘Rodi Bel Wala Park’ at this place earlier and there was also a train for children. It is possible that this railway track has been built for the same train of children.
