Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Nov 18 : The ''Maha Kumbh Mela'' or the Great pitcher festival, celebrated once in every 12 years, here is expected to attract 10 million people.

Satpal Brahmachari, former chairman of the city board, says that the authorities are not utilizing the funds given by the government for the preparations of the festival properly.

"The construction work which is being commenced now, should have been completed two months back. Now on one hand the festival will progress and on the other the construction work, so there won''t be any cooperation between the two. The city has been facing a problem of traffic jams lately, due to the dug up roads. The authority has to speed up and complete the work efficiently," said Brahmachari.

Though the preparation for the festival has taken a front seat, the locals believe there is still a lot of work to be done.

"The work will finish on time, as the labourers are working very hard. But still there are some areas that they need to pay attention to. They have constructed a bridge over the holy Ganges River, which will be of no use and won''t help the devotees in any way. They should make provisions for toilets and safe drinking water rather than making bridges. I think this time the devotees will have to face a lot of problems," said Anil Kumar, a local.

The authorities concerned have made no provisions for the holy saints till now and moreover traffic jams take place with roads being dug all over the city, he added.

The Kumbh Mela is a sacred occasion for the Hindus who believe in washing their sins by taking a bath in the Ganges in the occasion. (ANI)