Ganga flows a metre below danger mark

Sunday brought some respite to the residents in the district of Haridwar with rains halting for four hours in the morning. However the threat in the low lying areas continued since the water level in the seasonal rivers has increased and many river embankments have developed cracks letting water flow through. People could move out for Rakshabandhan till 11 am but rains dampened the festivities later in the day. Villagers are living under a constant threat.

At places, the portions of the embankments have been washed away with water entering the homes and sugarcane fields. There was disruption in the movement of vehicles at the city crossings with long queues of vehicles. The Ganga river is flowing full spate following the torrential rains in the mountainous areas of Uttarakhand. The water level in the Ganga remained close to the danger mark on Sunday. The water level was recorded at 293.40 metres on the morning of Sunday while the danger level is at 294 metres. A day ago on Saturday, it had reached 293.70 metres which is just 0.30 metre below the danger mark.  Acting on the warning by the metrological department regarding heavy rainfall in the past two days, the district disaster management team is in constant alert mode and prepared for emergency.

The district administration had issued alert in Haridwar due to heavy rain in mountainous areas of the State as water level of Ganga was on constant rise. Flood posts made by the district disaster management team in the low lying villages of Laksar, Khanpur, Bhogpur and Shyampur Kangri areas of the district were asked to be on alert. The seasonal river Solani is gushing in full spate. In Kalsiya village of Laksar tehsil, a truck was stuck in the broken embankment on Saturday night and the disaster management team had a tough time in freeing the truck.

On Sunday the whole day, the Rasulpur village was inundated since embankments in Laksar area had broken. Villagers complained that they were on the verge of starvation as no fresh vegetables of fruits had reached them in the past four days.

Speaking to The Pioneer, Laksar Sub-Divisional Magistrate Kaustubh Mishra said, “We are making regular alert announcements in the surrounding low lying areas near the Ganga river.

Though there is no flood like threat in the district we have still asked the flood control rooms to be alert. People residing near Solani river have been asked to vacate. The warning level of Ganga is at 293 metres while the danger mark is at 294 metres. Our team is prepared for emergency in the low lying villages.”

The water level increases during mornings and evenings at Har Ki Paidi and other ghats for which the administration has issued an alert. Fallen trees and silt on Bilwakeshwar became road blocks for the commuters. The forest department removed fallen tree near industrial area with the help of JCBs to clear the hill by pass road for traffic. The traffic was disrupted and the vehicles coming from northern part of the city were routed via main Haridwar road traversing through Tulsi Chowk.