Water leakage was also reported at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple after heavy rain
New Delhi:
Six months after the grand opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the first round of showers has caused heavy waterlogging in the temple city, raising questions over its swift and massive infrastructure overhaul.
The newly built Rampath road in Ayodhya which leads to the Ram Temple – has suffered several cave-ins since seasonal rain hit the temple town.
The 14-km stretch was built at a cost of Rs 300 crore. After the images of the potholes went viral, authorities said they were repairing the road as a priority. The state government has suspended three PWD engineers over negligence, officials said.
Ayodhya mayor Girish Pati Tripathi said that efforts to flush out the rainwater were launched soon after the waterlogging was reported.
Leakage was also reported at the temple after heavy rain at midnight last Saturday. The Chief Priest of the Ram Temple, claimed that rainwater that was leaking from the roof of the temple was collecting in its sanctum sanctorum. He also claimed that there was no arrangement to flush out the rainwater from the temple premises.
Nripendra Misra, the chairperson of the Ram Mandir’s management trust, however, denied the leakage allegations and said that there was no flaw in the construction of the temple.
Champat Rai, General Secretary of the Trust, also denied allegations of a leak and said “excellent arrangements” had been made at the temple to drain rainwater.
Mr Rai said while it appeared that water was leaking from the roof, it was in fact coming from a conduit pipe due to ongoing construction work on the first floor of the temple.
The opposition leaders, however, were quick to pounce on the BJP and alleged that there was large scale corruption in the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. ”Even the places of worship are sources of loot for the BJP,” UP Congress President Ajay Rai said.
The Ram Temple in Ayodhya was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22. Considered the birthplace of Lord Ram, Ayodhya’s Ram Temple is one of the holiest sites in Hindusim.
