Ganga Water Levels Rise in Varanasi, Small Boats Banned

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh): The rising water level of the Ganga in Varanasi has led to the submerging of steps at various ghats in the temple town. Authorities have banned the operations of small boats in the river to prevent any accidents from taking place.

Mountain Water Influences River Levels
Although rains have subsided over the last couple of weeks, water from the mountains is now slowly starting to show effects in the plains. This has led to water in the Ganga River rising continuously.

Inundation of Ghats and Temples
The rising water level has been submerging the stairs of the Ghats and in some places, the floors of some temples located on the banks of the river have been inundated.

Local Residents Voice Concerns
Madan Sahani, a local who lives near the Ghats, said, "The water level has now reached 10 feet. People are not able to go to other Ghats now. This has also led to tourism getting affected and small boat owners have stopped travelling to the Ghats."

Boat Owners Face Livelihood Challenges
Manish Kumar, a small boat owner, said, "We are not able to row the boats, they are almost at a halt now. The water has reached up to 10 feet. This is now affecting our livelihood; we will have to start taking up smaller jobs to start earning now. The conditions will persist for at least two to three months now."

Safety Precautions for Pilgrims
Avadhesh, another resident, said, "We are facing a lot of difficulties due to the rising water. All the pilgrims need to know that safety and precautions need to be maintained and that pilgrims should not go deep into the river and the three Ghats -- Rajendra Ghat, Sheetla Ghat and Dasha Sumer Ghat. Any kind of incident can occur."

Rising Water Levels in Gorakhpur and Surrounding Areas
Additionally, on July 16, around 48 villages in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, were affected due to the rising water levels of the Rapti River. The water level in the Rapti River rose one metre above the danger level. Gorakhpur SSP, Gaurav Grover, visited a few of the affected villages and assured residents.

Widespread Impact Across Uttar Pradesh
As per officials, nearly 18 districts, including Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia, Shahjahanpur, Kushinagar, Shravasti, Balrampur, Lakhimpur, Kheri, Barabanki, Sitapur, Gonda, Siddharth Nagar, Moradabad, Bareilly, and Basti in Uttar Pradesh, were affected due to the increasing water levels.

(With ANI inputs)