River water starts receding in Prayagraj, stable in Varanasi
PRAYAGRAJ/VARANASI: After rising for over 10 days, the water level of the Ganga and the Yamuna started receding in Sangam city at a pace of 0.5 cm per hour from Sunday morning onwards.
In view of flood water still present in over a dozen low lying localities of Prayagraj, the district administration has ordered closure of all schools in the city area till September 26.
According to reports made available by District Flood Monitoring Cell, the level of the Ganga at Phaphamau at 2pm was recorded at 85.67 metres while that of the Yamuna at Naini was measured at 85.58 metres.
As per executive engineer, Irrigation department (Flood division), Prayagraj, Brijesh Kumar, the water level of both the rivers had started receding, with the level of the Ganga declining at a faster rate than that of the Yamuna.
“We are still busy distributing relief material and supervising relief measures for people still trapped in their houses in low lying localities. Though now there seems not much chance of rise in water level of rivers but all precautions would be in place in district,” he said.
In a statement issued on Sunday, senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari said in view of Prayagraj witnessing floods on regular intervals besides taking into consideration it geographical location, a permanent ‘bundh’ should be constructed from Nagvasuki
VARANASI, GHAZIPUR, BALLIA AND MIRZAPUR ARE AMONG FLOOD-HIT DISTRICTS IN EAST UP WHERE OVER 85,000 HAVE BEEN SHIFTED
temple via Baghada, Salori, Shivkuti, Shankerghat, Rasulabad, Mehendauri colony, Beli, Rajapur to Cantonment area.
He stated that earlier he had raised the issue in UP assembly and the then state government had assured action in the matter but nothing happened.
In Varanasi, after rising continuously for many days, the Ganga’s water level was now stable there and likely to start receding soon, district magistrate Surendra Singh said on Sunday. According to the central water commission, the Ganga was flowing at 71.95 metres while the danger mark in Varanasi was 71.26 metres.
Varanasi, Ghazipur, Ballia and Mirzapur are among the flood-affected districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh where over 85,000 people were shifted to safe locations, official sources said.
Ballia is the worst-affected district. Singh said rescue and relief work in the flood-affected areas was on.