Ganga nears danger mark in Haridwar, rafting activities shut in Rishikesh amid heavy rainfall

The Ganga river is flowing less than two metres from the warning level mark in Haridwar due to which rafting operations have been shut down, officials said.

The development comes two days after the arrival of southwest monsoons and heavy downpour.

All the flood control check posts, barrages and disaster management teams are on alert, with district officials keeping a tab on the situation round the clock.

As a precautionary measure owing to the inundated Ganga river, operating or rafting has been closed till further directives in the Ganga stretch falling in Pauri, Tehri and Dehradun districts near Rishikesh.

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Narendranagar sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Devendra Negi said that as it is risky to continue rafting owing to incessant rainfall in the Garhwal division, river rafting and related adventure in and around Ganga has been prohibited till further directives.

According to the Bhimgoda Barrage River water level data, Ganga was flowing at 291.80metres on Monday morning, which is just 1.20m less than the warning level (293 m).

On Sunday noon, the water flow was recorded at 292.20m leading to the sounding of an alert in nearby areas of Ganga.

Haridwar mayor Anita Sharma on Monday directed officials to clean the small and large choked nullah drains, as waterlogging was reported from various parts of the city.

“Municipal Corporation officials have been directed to carry out the cleaning of small and medium drains inside the market, roadside and colonies immediately from Monday onwards. The city reeled under waterlogging for the past two days rain, and it is due to the laxity of civic officials. Previous years too, nullah gang squads had effectively carried out cleaning of drains ahead of monsoon season but this time some officials and BJP councillors deliberately hindered the process,” said Sharma.

“From Sunday noon itself, civic personnel are carrying work in war foot level in affected colonies and areas. Cleaning of drains is being done and additional personnel are being deployed,” said town commissioner Dayanand Saraswati.

At Laksar and Khanpur blocks, owing to the rise in the level of the Solani and Ban Ganga rivers, about two dozen villages are susceptible to flood-like situations.

“We are keeping a tab on the water level in Ganga and its sub-tributaries. Flood check post personnel, disaster management personnel, police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel are on alert,” said Laksar Tehsildar Chandrasekhar Vashisht.