January 09, 2007	Tuesday	Zilhaj 18, 1427

LUCKNOW: Indian sadhus threatened on Monday to boycott the Kumbh festival, in which millions of people wash away sins in the Ganges river, saying it was too polluted. Thousands of sadhus in saffron-coloured clothes held protests for a second day, demanding that the river be cleaned up before the next auspicious bathing day on Sunday, a leader said.

“The water in (the) river is so dirty that no one can take a dip. It is dark red whereas the Ganges used to be bluish green,” said Shankaracharya Vasudvanand Saraswati, who heads the main Hindu monastery in Allahabad, where the festival is taking place.

“If the government takes no corrective measures we will have no option but to boycott the festival,” he said.

The Ardh Kumbh mela, held every six years, is expected to draw 70 million people over the six weeks.

“The pilgrims come here to wash away their sins but after a dip here, they may carry skin diseases,” said Hari Chaitanya Brahmachari, who runs the monastery in Varanasi.

Mr Brahmachari has filed a case against the state government of Uttar for not keeping the Ganges clean.

State officials said they would release fresh water via canals and dams to help improve water quality for the mela.

The Ganges is polluted by industrial effluent and human waste as it winds through the plains.—AFP