Water level recedes, but rains compound woes for flood victims in Prayagraj
Ganga and Yamuna water levels are slowly receding, but flood relief may take longer due to ongoing dam releases and heavy rains impacting affected areas.
The increased water levels of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers are receding slowly. However, it may take more time to provide relief to residents of flood-hit areas as water is still being released from dams upstream of the Ganga. Due to this, the receding speed may slow in the coming days.
On Tuesday, over 2.96 lakh cusecs of water were released from the Ganga barrage in Kanpur. Earlier, over 2.73 lakh cusecs of water were released on Monday. During normal days, the release of water does not affect the water level. However, the current release, when rivers are already swollen, may cause floodwaters to linger for some more days.
Meanwhile, over 1.62 lakh cusecs of water have been released from Narora, while 80,000 cusecs were released from Haridwar, which will soon reach Prayagraj. It is expected that the water level may increase when this water arrives in Prayagraj. Although the water level of the Yamuna and its tributaries has decreased in Banda, it hasn’t made much impact on the Yamuna in Prayagraj due to the pressure from the Ganga river. Furthermore, heavy rains on Tuesday may also delay relief from the floods.
Executive engineer of the irrigation department (flood), DN Shukla, said the water released from the barrages will soon reach Prayagraj. Unlike previous floods, the increased water level in the Ganga this year is mounting pressure on the Yamuna. A decrease in the Ganga’s water level at Chhatnag will bring relief to the flood-affected areas in the Kachhar region.
At the relief camps set up by the administration, 1,694 people from 393 families have taken shelter. As of Tuesday evening, the relief camp at Annie Besant School, Allenganj, housed the maximum of 102 families (498 persons). At Rishikul School in Rajapur, 62 families (255 persons) were residing, while Swami Vivekananda College, Ashok Nagar, had 28 families (120 persons). The Cantonment High School in Sadar Bazar housed 61 families (260 persons), St. Joseph’s Girls College in Mumfordganj had 60 families (236 persons), Unity Public School in Kareli housed 3 families (13 persons), and Mehboob Ali College in Beli had 77 families (312 persons).
Meanwhile, residents of flood-affected areas living in relief camps are also worried about their belongings left behind in their homes. Priyansu Gupta and Parasnath, staying at the Annie Besant School relief camp, visited their homes multiple times. The heavy rains on Tuesday added to the woes of flood victims, as the belongings they placed on their terraces were drenched.
Families in flood-affected areas, living on their terraces, are using plastic sheets to cover themselves and their household goods. Nitin Yadav, a resident of the Chhota Baghada area, said residents of flood-hit areas living on terraces did not anticipate heavy rainfall. The rain has posed a threat to their household goods.
On Tuesday, mayor Ganesh Kesarwani visited the flood-affected areas and issued instructions for fogging and the sprinkling of insecticides.
On Tuesday morning at 8 am, the water level of the Ganga decreased by 40 cm at Chhatnag, but the speed of receding slowed by the afternoon. By 4 pm, the water level of the Ganga at Chhatnag was recorded at 82.81 meters, with a decrease of only 1 cm. At Phaphamau, the water level of the Ganga was recorded at 83.91 meters at 4 pm, with a 9 cm decrease at 8 am, but only a 1 cm decrease by 4 pm.
The water level of the Yamuna in Naini decreased by 10 cm at 8 am, but by 4 pm, it had only receded by 5 cm, with the water level recorded at 83.59 meters.