Water scarcity in Vamsadhara hits devotees

Srikakulam: Devotees faced difficulties in taking a holy dip in Vamsadhara river on the occasion of Chakratheertha Snanam due to lack of enough water in the river on Monday. Chakrateertha Snanam is conducted for the processional deities in Vamsadhara river at Miriapalli village on the third day of three-day festival at the ancient at Srimukhalingam temple during Maha Sivaratri. Thousands of devotees converge at the spot and take a holy bath in the river.

But this year, as revenue, endowments and irrigation department officials could not provide sufficient flow the river, devotees were re unable to take a dip.

When contacted, the Maha Sivratri festival special officer and Srikakulam RDO B Shanthi and the Srimukhalingam temple EO P Prabhakar Rao said that water is not available sufficiently at Gotta barrage in the river but they had made some arrangements to store water for festival and the celestial event.