Panchkula, March 26 -- Even as thousands of devotees throng the Mata Mansa Devi temple during Navratras, they are forced to navigate a disturbing reality-stagnant foul-smelling water, heaps of garbage, muddy roads, and a slum located right at the shrine's main entrance. The unhygienic surroundings tarnish the religious site's sanctity and expose administrative apathy, persisting despite annual high-profile visits by chief minister Nayab Singh Saini and other VIPs.

The approach road near the main gate remains muddy and littered, with sewage often flowing openly. Adding to the mess, the Jal Dhara nullah flowing from the temple to the Rajiv-Indira Colony has turned into a dumping ground filled with plastic waste, food remnants, and sewage....