Amid a flood-like situation triggered by rising water levels of the Ganga across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, ground conditions remained grim on Saturday, even as official data showed a receding trend at most monitoring stations in Bihar.
Five people, including four children, drowned after falling into water-filled ditches in Koyli Khutaha village of Bhagalpur district, officials and residents said on Friday. The floods have already claimed lives in the state. “As for the body, we cremate it right here outside, and afterwards, we take it into that same area. There, we immerse it. Meanwhile, in Varanasi, municipal authorities maintained that the city’s drainage network is managing the rainfall load. These drainage systems are regularly cleaned every year to prevent waterlogging. At present, drainage arrangements are being made in all other areas as needed.”
On NH-80, the swollen Ganga has submerged the NH-80 and a four-lane stretch in Bhagalpur, forcing police and administration to seal it from both ends with barricades. PRO of Varanasi Municipal Corporation Sandeep Srivastava said, “Currently, the drainage lines in the Varanasi area extend to about 1300 kilometres, along with around 400 small and large drains.
We are enduring it,” a local Shiv Bahadur told ANI, underscoring the grim situation for the residents.
