Ganga recedes in Kashi, but isstill flowing above danger mark

Varanasi: Though the Ganga maintained its receding trend on Saturday, it was still flowing almost half a metre above the danger mark in the district, compelling thousands of affected families to keep waiting for the situation to normalise and begin normal daily life. The administration, meanwhile, is providing all relief material, including ration kits, to the people displaced by the flood and intensified cleaning operations in various localities.
Ballia people heaved a sigh of relief as the Ganga stopped rising further after reaching 60.25-metre and became constant before reaching the all-time high flood level of 60.39-metre.
As the water receded slowly, there was no relaxation in relief operations and the Varanasi Municipal Corporation was asked to finalise a strategy for immediate cleaning of the areas as flood water receded. Lives of around two lakh people have been affected in the past one week as flood water entered urban localities and villages. Also, 39,203 people of around 8,000 families were compelled to leave the flood-hit areas by August 12 when the Ganga water level reached the highest flood level of the current flood season.
According to the bulletin of the Central Water Commission’s Middle Ganga Division office, the water level of the Ganga in Varanasi was 71.88-metre against the danger mark of 71.12-metre on Saturday morning and receding at the rate of 2-cm per hour. The river receded upstream at Phaphamu and Prayagraj. The Ganga has come below the danger mark of 77.72-metre in Mirzapur and the trend of further fall in water level will continue downstream.
In Ghazipur, the river was flowing at 64.67-metre against the danger mark of 63.10-metre. Though water level of the Ganga has become constant in Ballia after touching the mark of 60.25-metre, the district is reeling under flood as Saryu (Ghaghra) is also on a rampage by flowing above the danger mark of 64.0-metre.
Regarding the flood scene in Varanasi, district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said, “The Gangas water level has adopted a receding trend after affecting over two lakh people in more than 40 city localities and over 100 villages in the district. As many as 39,203 people from over 8,000 families had left their places and 10% of them took shelter in flood relief camps.”
“The scene has still not changed much and so far the pace of fall in water level is very slow. But, major relief is expected by Sunday evening and water will start receding sharply,” he added.
“Community kitchens in 22 relief camps are continuing to serve the people taking shelter there and also the displaced people reaching there for food,” he said adding, “After distribution of 8,500 ration kits, 1,500 kits are kept in reserve. Now, focus is on ensuring availability of milk, drinking water bottles, LPG cylinders and other articles for which demands are coming from the families stranded in marooned areas on the banks of the Ganga and Varuna. The number of boats has also not been reduced from 111 in the relief operations,” he added.
“VMC and other agencies concerned have been asked to start sanitation drives in flood-hit areas with the fall in water level while proper chlorination of supply water is also being ensured. Health department is also providing services to the needy people in flood-hit areas,” he added.