Rampurhat, Sept. 5: Prosit Ghosh, who often visits Tarapith in Birbhum, was elated to see a swelling Dwarka a few weeks ago.

But its only during the monsoon, when water released from a nearby dam keeps the river in spate. During the other part of the year, its mostly dry, choked with waste from nearby hotels and other business establishments in the pilgrim town of Tarapith.

The Dwarka, which originates in Santhal Parganas in Jharkhand, has been revered by Hindus for years as the Shakti temple is located on its banks. Legend has it that Chand Saudagar, the rich merchant from Champak Nagar (Kamrup), sailed through the Dwarka in his ship and Bamakhepa did his meditation at the crematorium on its banks.

Over the past few years, lack of rains and waste had dried up the river, preventing devotees from taking a holy dip before entering the shakti temple in Tarapith, except during the monsoons.

Acting on a nudge from the National Green Tribunal, the Bengal government has recently built a pond on Dwarka riverbed, a few metres from the Tarapith temple. The pond is meant to contain water through the year.

Ghosh said he was happy with the move, adding that the pond will help devotees to take a holy dip even when the Dwarka is dry.

"After years, I could take a bath in the Dwarka and visit the temple," he said.

Tarun Roychoudhury, the engineer in charge of the irrigation department's Mayurakshi north canal division, explained: "The river is in spate because of water that has been released from the Deucha dam in Mohammadbazar, 30km from Tarapith. But this is only during the monsoon. From December to June, when the river dries up, the pond will come in handy."

The makeshift pond is 40m long, 30m wide and one metre deep. The construction started in February and ended in July. A bylane from the temple's main entrance leads to the pond.

The Rs 5.5-crore project was carried out by the irrigation and waterways department along with the public health engineering department and the Birbhum administration. While the irrigation department carried out the dredging and construction of the pond, the PHE department will maintain the drainage system.

A senior PHE department official said: "Even during the lean period, our department will ensure that the pond water does not get stagnant. We will manage the drainage system and ensure water is always fresh."

The district administration will ensure the water doesn't get polluted. Officials have also blamed large-scale encroachments and dumping of waste on the Dwarka riverbed for the stretch to dry up

With the increase in the number of devotees, hotels and other shops have mushroomed near the temple in Tarapith. Unchecked disposal of garbage has led to mounds of waste on the riverbed, checking the free flow of water.

"The district administration has engaged several agencies for solid waste management at Tarapith. The civic body will lift solid waste from the temple and hotels and dump it in an earmarked place near the Jharkhand border. We are also conducting frequent awareness drives to ensure a pollution-free Dwarka," said sub-divisional officer Supriyo Das.

Priests at the temple elaborated the religious significance of the Dwarka.

"A religious sentiment is attached with the river. Chand Saudagar sailed through Dwarka in his ship and Bamakhepa did his sadhana at the crematorium on its banks. The cleanliness of the river should be maintained at any cost," said Gorachand Panda, a temple priest.