Monsoon showers break dry spell, make farmers smile in Varanasi

VARANASI: After a long dry spell, Varanasi witnessed monsoon showers on Wednesday afternoon bringing the muchh needed respite from sweltering heat. The district recorded 67 mm rainfall in last 24 hours.
The rains also brought smiles on the faces of farmers waiting for sowing the paddy crop. The farmers in rural areas were seen engaged in sowing paddy in their fields after the rain.
Meanwhile, the Ganga continued to rise at the rate of 40mm per hour in Varanasi. According to the flood bulletin of the Middle Ganga Division-3 of the Central Water Commission, the river was showing a rising trend right from Mirzapur to Ballia. While in Varanasi, the river recorded a rise at the rate 40mm per hour, the rising trend in Mirzapur was 30.01mm per hour, Ghazipur 20mm per hour and in Ballia it was 10mm per hour. Mirzapur witnessed the maximum 92.6 mm rainfall in this region, while Ballia went without rain.
Though the Ganga continued to rise, it was flowing 10.12 mt below the danger mark in Varanasi, 11.17 mt below in Mirzapur, 9.09 mt below in Ghazipur and 6.39 mt below in Ballia.
The police have cautioned the public to stay away from the flooded rivr. On Thursday, a 13-year-old boy Jamal of Saraiyya locality feared drowned in flooded Ganga near Prahlad Ghat. The NDRF and Jal Police launched a rescue operation.