This Article is From Aug 21, 2016

Ganga Flows Above Danger Mark In UP; Allahabad, Varanasi Flooded

Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand are most affected where the Ganga is at par with the danger mark.

Lucknow: Heavy rain in Uttar Pradesh has caused many major rivers across the state to flow above the danger mark, leading to flooding in low lying areas.

Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand are most affected with the waters of the rivers Ganga and the Ken flowing above or at par with the danger mark.

In Varanasi, both the Ganga and Varuna rivers are in spate. Many of the city's famous ghats are flooded - the prominent ones Assi and Dashashwmedh ghats are now under water following which the famous Ganga aarti on these ghats has been shifted to terraces.

The Harishchandra and Manikarnika ghats, where people come from all over the country come for cremations, are also under water. The bodies are now being cremated on the congested streets above the ghats.
 

In Allahabad, the Ganga has already crossed the danger mark.

In Allahabad, the Ganga river has crossed the danger mark and low lying areas have been inundated. The people in these areas were being shifted to higher grounds, officials said.

In Sonbhadra district that borders Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, the gates of the Rihand Dam were opened on Friday to let excess water pass. This has caused flooding in many villages near the dam.

Meanwhile, river Ken has inundated large parts of Bundelkhand where there was a drought situation in the last two years. Among the worst affected are Banda and Hamirpur districts.

The Uttar Pradesh government has said its mounting relief measures in all affected areas and the administration is on high alert to tackle the situation.
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