Five water tankers and medicines at warkaris' disposal

Nashik: The Nashik Zilla Parishad (ZP) has provided five water tankers to thousands of warkaris, who started walking towards Pandharpur from Trimbakeshwar on Monday for the annual pilgrimage.
Besides water tankers, medical teams of the ZP will also accompany the warkaris till Pandharpur and back home. Officials of the Nashik ZP said they have made a special provision of Rs 4 lakh in their annual budget for providing water tankers, medical teams and medicine among other facilities.
On Monday, thousands of warkaris left Trimbakeshwar with the palkhi (palanquin) of Sant Nivrutti Nath Maharaj.The walk till Pandharpur is known as wari (pilgrimage). Those taking part in the pilgrimage are called warkaris.
The warkaris would reach Pandharpur by covering a distance of 355km. In the meantime, many warkaris from different parts of the state also left for Pandharpur. People keep joining these 'waris' on the way to make it a huge congregation of more than 1.25 lakh when it reaches Pandharpur.
The water tankers of the Nashik ZP would move with the warkaris. The medical teams will have all the necessary equipment and medicines to ensure that prompt treatment is delivered during any medical emergency.
ZP officials said sources of water enroute Pandharpur have already been identified from where the tankers can be filled to meet the warkaris' requirements.
In the meantime, the city traffic police have effected vehicular diversions on Tuesday to avoid rush on the streets from where the palkhi would pass. Senior police officials said vehicles have been banned from Ashok Stambh to Ravivar Karanja road till the warkaris cross the stretch.