Flood threat escalates from Varanasi to Ballia

At Assi Ghat, much of the Subah-e-Banaras stage has gone underwater. Water has reached the police outpost at Dashashwamedh Ghat, and the Maa Sheetla Temple is flooded

: The Ganga River rising steadily from Varanasi to Ballia, flood outposts have been activated across Varanasi district. Water has started entering low-lying areas along the Varuna River due to reverse flow from the Ganga.

Devotees will no longer be allowed to view the Aarti from boats due to the rising water level. NDRF and PAC teams have been deployed at the ghats for safety. (File Photo)

According to the central water commission, the Ganga’s water level in Varanasi reached 68.94 metres on Wednesday, up from 68.42 metres on Tuesday. The water is rising at a rate of 10 mm per hour. All major ghats in Varanasi are submerged.

At Assi Ghat, much of the Subah-e-Banaras stage has gone underwater. Water has reached the police outpost at Dashashwamedh Ghat, and the Maa Sheetla Temple is flooded. Entire Sheetla Ghat is submerged, with only the peaks of many temples visible along the stretch from Assi to Rajghat. The Namaste sculpture at Namo Ghat is also underwater.

Water police inspector Rajkishore Pandey confirmed that Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat will now be performed symbolically. Devotees will no longer be allowed to view the Aarti from boats due to the rising water level. NDRF and PAC teams have been deployed at the ghats for safety.

On Tuesday, reverse flow from the rising Ganga caused floodwaters to enter Hidayat Nagar and nearby areas. By Wednesday, the water level had increased further, submerging many homes. Affected families include those of Shobha, Sona Devi, Rafiq, Sanjay Chaudhary, Barsati Ram, Ajay Chaudhary, Bhushan Mistry, and Munna in Dindayalpur. In Ramna, floodwaters have reached the cremation ground. With the water level rising by about five feet, hundreds of bighas of farmland in Ramna Tikri are now at risk. Officials from the Revenue Department, including Amin Surendra Mishra, are closely monitoring the situation from Nagwan Primary School.

Cremations are now taking place on rooftops at Manikarnika Ghat and in narrow lanes near Harishchandra Ghat. The situation is particularly worrying in rural low-lying areas, where water continues to rise.

District officials visit relief camps

District magistrate Satyendra Kumar and additional police commissioner Shivhari Meena visited a flood relief camp at Primary School, Chiraigaon, on Wednesday. They checked arrangements and instructed officials to ensure all basic services—food, clean water, tents, doctors, and sanitation—are in place. The DM stressed the need for proper hygiene, fogging, and lime spraying to prevent disease. He instructed all departments to remain alert, especially in flood-sensitive tehsils such as Sadar and Rajatalab.

Sub-divisional magistrate Amit Kumar reported that 46 relief camps have been set up across the district: 27 in urban areas, 10 in rural areas, six in Rajatalab, and three in Pindra. He confirmed that Varuna’s low-lying areas are among the worst affected.

Water levels in other districts

Varanasi: Warning Level – 70.262 m | Danger Level – 71.262 m | Current – 68.94 m

Mirzapur: Warning Level – 76.724 m | Danger Level – 77.724 m | Current – 74.48 m

Ghazipur: Warning Level – 62.105 m | Danger Level – 63.105 m | Current – 61.99 m

Ballia: Warning Level – 56.615 m | Danger Level – 57.615 m | Current – 58.12 m

In Ballia, the Ganga is rising at 2 cm per hour and has reached near Mahavir Ghat’s Gayatri Mandir. Water has also spread into Ward No. 11’s Gayatri Colony. Meanwhile, water levels are also rising in Mirzapur and Chandauli, and flood control teams have been put on alert in those areas as well.