Ganga crosses danger mark in Haridwar

Heavy rains in Uttarakhand over the recent days have flooded rivers in the state with the Ganga crossing the danger mark in Haridwar and flowing close to it in Rishikesh.

At least 12 people were killed in rail-related incidents in the state, most of them in the early hours of Sunday.

The Ganga is flowing above the danger mark at 294.450 metres in Haridwar, Vikrant Saini, sub-divisional Officer of the irrigation department in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh said on Monday.

Waters of the flooded river entered the fields in dozens of villages in the district, damaging crops of paddy and sugarcane over 30,000 bighas in Kalsiya, Sherpurbela, Dumanpuri, Himmatwala in Laksar area, he said.

Authorities have alerted people in 30 villages and patrolling in the flood-hit areas has been intensified.

The administration is also maintaining a vigil in other densely populated areas, Laksar SDM Puran Singh Rana said.

If the Ganga rises further, villagers will be shifted to safe places, he said.

In Rishikesh, the Ganga flowed just below the danger mark.

On Monday afternoon, it had risen there to 340.22 metres, 28 centimetres below the danger level at 340.50 metres.

A sudden increase in the water level inundated Triveni Ghat in Rishikesh. Water from flooded rainwater streams also gushed into houses in the lower areas of Chandreshwar Nagar in the town with the administration moving residents to safer locations.

The current spell of rains began on Saturday. On Monday, the rain had subsided.