Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi has written to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar, seeking the immediate closure of meat shops and roadside stalls selling non-vegetarian food along major Kanwar Yatra routes and near Kanwar camps during the ongoing Sawan month and the upcoming Mahashivratri.
In his letter, the mayor urged the civic body to take prompt action, saying the presence of shops selling raw and cooked meat along pilgrimage routes could hurt the religious sentiments of Kanwar pilgrims.
“As you are aware, the holy month of Sawan and the sacred Kanwar Yatra have commenced. Thousands of Kanwar pilgrims travel through various roads in Delhi. During this period, it has been observed that roadside shops and carts selling raw and cooked meat operate at night, which are completely illegal,” Wahi wrote.
He further said that the open sale and consumption of non-vegetarian food on public roads causes discomfort to devotees participating in the annual pilgrimage.
“Therefore, with immediate effect, all raw and cooked meat shops and roadside carts operating along major roads of Delhi or in the vicinity of Kanwar camps during Mahashivratri and the Kanwar Yatra should be closed to ensure smooth passage for the pilgrims,” the mayor added.
MCD had already ordered action against unauthorised meat shops
The mayor’s letter comes days after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi directed its 12 zonal offices to close all unauthorised meat shops and take action against licensed establishments found violating permit conditions along Kanwar Yatra routes and near Kanwar camps.
The civic body has also instructed officials to complete civic arrangements before the pilgrimage. According to officials, 308 Kanwar camps are expected to function across Delhi between July 30 and August 11.
In an office memorandum issued earlier this week, all zonal deputy commissioners were asked to remove encroachments from identified Kanwar camp sites before the yatra begins to ensure smooth movement of devotees.
Every year during the month of Sawan, lakhs of Kanwariyas travel through Delhi and neighbouring areas carrying holy water from the Ganga to offer at Shiva temples, making the Kanwar Yatra one of the largest annual religious pilgrimages in North India.
