A pier development project in Varanasi inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November has been swamped as the water level in Gang...
A pier development project in Varanasi inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November has been swamped as the water level in Ganga rose above the danger mark in the city, The Week reported on Wednesday.
Varanasi is the prime minister’s parliamentary constituency.
All 80 ghats (river embankments) in the city, including Khidkiya ghat, the site of the pier project, were flooded. The cremation grounds on the ghats were also flooded and last rites had to be performed in nearby lanes.
At the Khidkiya ghat, two helipads, a compressed natural gas refueling station and two platforms have been submerged. An under-construction spur and a 7-km-long canal have also been reportedly swept away.
At 6 pm on Wednesday, the water level of Ganga in the city stood at 72.12 m, well above the danger mark of 71.26 m, Hindi daily Amar Ujala reported. The Central Water Commission has alerted that inflow from the Yamuna river and its tributaries may lead to further increase of water level in Ganga.
The neighbouring districts of Ballia, Mirzapur, Ghazipur, Bhadohi and Chandauli have also been affected by the floods. As many as 600 villages across 24 districts of Uttar Pradesh have been hit by the floods, according to NDTV.
On Wednesday, Modi spoke to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Varanasi city unit chief Vidyasagar Rai to take stock...
