Ganga in spate, less than a metre from danger mark

ALLAHABAD: The Ganga and the Yamuna continued to swell for the fourth consecutive day, with water levels reaching within a metre of the danger mark of 84.74 metre and prompting the authorities to speed up evacuation from low-lying areas.
At Phaphamau and Chatnag, the Ganga flowed at 84.02 metre and 83.21 metre, respectively, around 4pm on Sunday. The water level of Yamuna at Naini was 83.84 metre around the same time.
The steadily growing threat of floods prompted a team comprising DM Bhanu Chandra Goswami, ADM (finance and flood relief operations) MP Singh and other district officials to inspect waterlogged areas.
The DM directed flood relief squads to take people who had still not vacated their homes or were staying on roods to relief camps without delay. “We have been closely monitoring both rivers. The waters are steadily rising and people’s safety is of paramount importance. Families in low-lying areas are being shifted to dry ground. Over 200 people have been shifted,” Goswami said.
A section of affected residents was shifted to Rishikul school near Baba Crossing on Sunday. People in other low-lying areas like Daraganj, Baghara, Draupadi Ghat, Ganga Nagar, Chilla, Bakshi Mora, Bakshi Kala and Sadiyapur are being taken to relief camps in batches. The local administration has set up 31 relief camps and people have arrived in three of them till date. The camps are equipped with food and medicines.
Ganga Nagar resident Atul said they had initially moved to the terrace of their houses because the ground floor was inundated. “But, the rivers are still rising. So, we plan to move to relief camps. Staying at home is safe no more.”
Badra of Baghara said narrow lanes had been flooded and vehicular traffic had stopped. Preetam, also from Baghara, said they were camping nearby and waiting for the water to recede so that they could return home. But, residents of Daraganj said they were not taking chances. They are keen on moving to higher ground.
The irrigation department’s flood control unit confirmed that the Ganga and the Yamuna were around 70cm and 90cm away from the danger mark, respectively. The rivers are rising at the rate of 2cm every hour, it said.