After uproar over multiple cracks, SJTA takes up 'Meghanada Pacheri' cleaning work

After an uproar over the safety and security of Meghanada Pacheri, the gigantic boundary wall surrounding the Puri Srimandir, the temple administration has taken up the cleaning work of the wall on Monday.

The temple administration swung into action and started cleaning the moss patches after OTV aired an exclusive report highlighting the poor state of Meghanada Pacheri. 

However, the cleaning of the mosses has only worsened the water leakage with more water leaking on the wall protecting the shrine. To make the situation worse, wastewater from the Ananda Bazaar is seeping through the cracks, making Meghanada Pacheri gradually weak.

A day back, speaking exclusively to OTV, Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee had expressed his concerns over the present state of the Meghanada Pacheri and assured of necessary repair and restoration work soon.

Not just one or two years, the temple administration has failed miserably to stop the water leakage since 2021. Despite repeated demands for immediate repair and restoration work, the administration is yet to come up with a permanent solution for the protection of the Meghanada Pacheri.

Intellectuals have attributed the cracks and water leakage to the use of vibrators during the construction of the Parikrama Project. Apart from Meghanada Pacheri, the cracks have also been reported from Uttara Dwara and Nata Mandap.

Meanwhile, SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee has written a letter to the superintendent of ASI, requesting him to take steps for the immediate and permanent repair and restoration of the wall. In his letter, Padhee has also promised to extend full cooperation in the repair work.