Varanasi: High Ganga level threatens Dev Deepawali celebrations

VARANASI: The slowly receding level of the Ganga is threatening the Dev Deepawali festival as the ghat steps and platforms are still inundated, leaving hardly any space for decoration for the mega event falling on November 7.
As per the daily bulletin of Central Water Commission, the Ganga was flowing at the mark of 63.02 m and receding 1 cm/hour. The officials of district administration and Varanasi Municipal Corporation have engaged a large band of sanitary staff equipped with 70 pumps to remove the silt left by flood waters on ghat steps before the festival. However, they fear that the lower steps of the ghats will still remain submerged and not be available for decoration with diyas on Dev Deepawali.
If natives of localities along the river ghats like hotelier Gokul Sharma are to be believed, compared to past years Dev Deepawali, which is observed on the occasion of Kartik Purnima, has fallen earlier. "Besides, the water level of the Ganga and its tributaries has continued to rise even after the flood season, which usually ends by September-end or mid-October. In past Dev Deepawali celebrations the water level of the Ganga had stayed at the mark of 60 m or below due to which decoration of lower steps and platforms was possible," they said. When TOI checked previous Dev Deepawali dates, it came to light that in 2021 the festival was celebrated on November 18 while on November 29 in 2020.
Municipal commissioner Pranay Singh said, "Water has receded from the upper platforms and ghat steps, but inter-connectivity of ghats is still broken upstream like in areas between Tusli Ghat-Riva Ghat and some other places. We are carrying out cleanliness drives at all 88 ghats along the river by engaging 74 pumps and adequate manpower. But, the pace of receding of Ganga level is very slow.. we don't see any possibility of water level receding any further by the day of the festival."
"We will finalise our plans as per the water level to be recorded on November 3. Whatever space available by then, would be freed of silt and inundated places will be barricaded," he said.
The tourism department has planned to arrange 10 lakh earthen diyas to be lit on Dev Deepawali. Joint director (tourism) Priti Srivastava said, "This time we will decorate only those areas, which would be available on the festival day."