GUWAHATI, May 29 � A prominent destination in the religious tourism circuit, the Basistha temple and its surrounding area will receive a facelift due to the initiative of Abhijatri, an all-Guwahati women�s organisation. The body has adopted a scheme for development and beautification of the southern part of the capital city covering the Basistha temple, the Basistha river and the surrounding hill areas of the temple.
Secretary of the organisation Kalpana Borah informed that the initiative has been taken up to attract more tourists. It may be mentioned here that every year, all the religious destinations in Guwahati including Basistha record a sizeable number of footfalls.
�The ambitious scheme will include the development of roads and drains, regular cleanliness drives and installation of sufficient numbers of dustbins, etc,� said Borah.
The members of Abhijatri recently undertook a cleanliness drive with the support of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation in the Basistha river. Motivated by the organisation, women from the nearby areas also extended their cooperation.
Visitors have been dumping litter into the Basistha river. Moreover, unabated earth cutting in the nearby hills has led to the pollution of the river.
�We have decided to conduct cleanliness drives in the area twice a week,� said Borah, adding that it was important to create public awareness about the need to keep the river free from various pollutants.
