Now, several bodies found floating in UP’s Ghazipur, Ballia; probe ordered

Close on the heels of partially decomposed bodies of suspected Covid patients washed up on the banks of the Ganga in Bihar’s Buxar district, more unidentified corpses were found floating in the river in Ghazipur and Ballia districts, bordering Bihar, on Monday-Tuesday

Close on the heels of partially decomposed bodies of suspected Covid patients washed up on the banks of the Ganga in Bihar’s Buxar district, more unidentified corpses were found floating in the river in Ghazipur and Ballia districts, bordering Bihar, on Monday-Tuesday.

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Over a dozen bodies were found floating in the Ganga in Bara and Gahmar areas of Ghazipur district on Monday. Similarly, more than two dozen bodies were found from Ujiyar Ghat and Bharauli area of Ballia district on Tuesday.

Ghazipur administration has initiated a probe into the matter.

“Our officials are present on the spot and an investigation is underway. We are trying to find out from where these bodies came,” district magistrate of Ghazipur MP Singh said.

It came to light when local people, traumatised by the sight of floating human bodies in the Ganga and fearing spreading of diseases in the area, informed the district administration officials. Bara town in Ghazipur district shares boundary with Buxar district of Bihar. It is just two kilometres from Gahmar (Ghazipur).

“The bodies, found in Gahmar and Bara stretch of Ganga, are different from those found in Buxar of Bihar,” said a Local.

Former village head of Gahmar Durga Prasad Chaurasia said that over a dozen bodies were seen floating. Thereafter, locals informed administrative officials. A team of administrative officials reached the spot and initiated a probe, he said.

“I received information that two bodies were floating in the Ganga in Bara area of Ghazipur. I along with my team reached the spot and found that two bodies floating in the river. This is a matter of grave concern,” said Ramesh Kumar Maurya, sub divisional magistrate of Sevrai division, who reached the spot along with his team on Monday evening.

Maurya said that he had no idea from where the two bodies came. He said that the bodies appeared to be a fortnight old.

Maurya, however, refused to comment on Buxar administration’s claim that the bodies found in the Ganga in Buxar had come from UP’s side.

A senior police official, not willing to be named, said a vigil would be maintained along the river stretch in Gahmar area of the district. At the same time, the locals have been asked to inform police in case they see anyone immersing a body in the river.

Meanwhile, a social worker and village head of Mubarakpur in Ghazipur district, Shyamnarayan Singh said that he heard that a few bodies (four bodies) were immersed in the Ganga by the families of the dead as they couldn’t afford to buy wood required for cremation.

“Such incidents are being reported for the last one week from several villages in the area,” he claimed. Ex-village head of Gahmar Gahmar Durga Chaurasia also backed it. “In rural pocket, this has been taking place for the last one week,” he said.

Over two dozen bodies were also found floating in the Ganga at Ujiyar Ghat and Bharauli area of Ballia district, locals said.

On being informed by locals, a team of administrative officials along with police personnel reached the spot and took out six bodies from the Ganga’s Bharauli stretch, and remaining from Ujiyar area, according to reports.

According to ANI, Ballia district magistrate Aditi Singh said few bodies were found near the banks of the river Ganga under the Ballia-Buxar bridge last evening. Last rites of these bodies were performed by police and local administration.

The incident of corpses floating in Bihar has sparked fears about the scale of the Covid crisis in the country. Authorities believe the relatives of those succumbed to the virus may not have been able to find space for the last rites.

On Tuesday, Union minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had termed the incident as “unfortunate” and asked concerned states to take immediate cognizance.

“The incident of corpses found floating in the Ganga in Buxar region of Bihar is unfortunate. This is definitely a matter of investigation. The Modi government is committed to the cleanliness ‘mother’ Ganga. This incident is unexpected. The concerned states should take immediate cognizance in this regard,” Shekhawat tweeted.

(With agency input)