Prayagraj : Once known as pride of Civil Lines synonymous with the presence of the Ganga, the statue of the river Ganga, which was installed at the main crossing of this posh area of the city, is now crying for official attention. Now, as funds worth crores of rupees are being spent to beautify different crossings of the city in preparation for Maha Kumbh , prominent social workers and denizens of the city have demanded that this is a golden opportunity for the administration to do justice to this statue and give long-due respect to this iconic masterpiece. According to noted social worker Sanjay Kala, it was way back in 1968-69 that the then administrator of the erstwhile Allahabad Nagar Mahapalika, Mahmood Butt, got this statue of ‘Maa Ganga' (as it was called) made from erstwhile Bombay (now called Mumbai).
This statue was installed in the heart of the city, i.e, the main crossing of Civil Lines. Later, sometime in the mid-90s, concerns were raised by some sections of the administration that a large quantity of water was being wasted to keep the fountain of the statue functioning.
Thus, the statue was removed and kept at the Prayagraj Nagar Nigam dump yard for several years until its plight was highlighted by a section of the media. After a brief period of stay at a tri-crossing near the head post office at Civil Lines, the statue was shifted to the park of the sewage pumping station near Gau Ghat, which is still the home for this iconic statue. However, now Kumbh Mela A.