Rising Ganga floods Varanasi ghats; 'aarti', cremations moved to rooftops

In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency, the swelling waters of the Ganga have thrown civic life and religious practice into turmoil, even as political tempers flare over the administration’s handling of the crisis.

By Thursday morning, the river had surged past the warning level of 70.262 metres to reach 70.91 m — dangerously close to the 71.262-m danger mark. At Dashashwamedh Ghat, the lower steps lie submerged, forcing the Ganga Seva Nidhi to relocate the iconic evening Ganga aarti to rooftops.

Cremations at Harishchandra and Manikarnika ghats have also been shifted to elevated platforms, while the Sheetla Mata temple has been engulfed by floodwaters.

The Varuna river, a tributary of the Ganga, has spilled into residential areas including Shakkar Talab, Purana Pul, Nakkhi Ghat, Pulkohana and Deendayalpur, displacing families and inundating homes. In neighbouring Mirzapur, the Ganga breached its warning mark at the Ojhla bridge, rising to 76.820 m, with officials reporting an hourly increase of nearly one cm.

District magistrate Satyendra Kumar has placed departments on high alert, directing municipal teams to ensure sanitation in relief camps and anti-larval spraying in waterlogged neighbourhoods. Yet concerns persist over the fragility of Varanasi’s centuries-old drainage system, once celebrated as an engineering marvel but now compromised by unchecked urbanisation and neglect, leaving swathes of the city vulnerable to prolonged flooding.

Amid the crisis, political leaders have traded sharp words. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP government of neglect, mocking the state of the constituency with the jibe: “Where have the BJP folks… disappeared with their boats?” He dismissed Varanasi’s Smart City claims as hollow and said the city resembled “Venice” more than the Kyoto promised in official rhetoric.

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai echoed the criticism, alleging that ill-planned development projects such as the ropeway had worsened flooding and describing the situation as “development without ground knowledge”.

The BJP government, however, has underscored its relief measures. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has mobilised large-scale operations across 36 flood-hit districts, including Varanasi, with thousands of boats pressed into service, nearly eight lakh meals distributed, and medical teams deployed to combat waterborne diseases.

State minister Suresh Khanna also visited affected areas of the city this week, assuring residents of full government support and directing officials to maintain supplies of clean water, food and medicines.

Prime Minister Modi, who last reviewed flood preparations in his constituency earlier this month, has asked local officials to ensure that those affected receive timely assistance. With the Ganga still rising, the crisis not only threatens homes and heritage in one of the world’s oldest cities, but is also rapidly becoming a political flashpoint in the prime minister’s parliamentary stronghold.

With PTI inputs