The Mahakumbh at Prayagraj
I was undecided about going to Mahakumbh 2025, more so after the stampede on 29 January. I am a firm believer in God, so I desperately wanted to take a dip in the sacred waters of the Ganga.
Waters from the Ganga river in Manikchak, which has been flowing over the extreme danger level since yesterday, has entered three new villages in the unprotected area. However, the irrigation department has claimed that everything was “under control.”
The people in those villages had shifted themselves to higher ground and demanded relief materials. On the other hand, the general manager of the Farakka Barrage project, R Ajhajisan, himself inspected the work going on for the embankment repair in Birnagar-I under the Baishnabnagar police station after he toured and watched the situation from a boat yesterday.
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“The locals expected to tell him about their plight, but he did not talk to the affected people, which has led to people being disappointed there,” sources said. According to the sources, three villages, including Ramnagar and Jotpatta, witnessed river water entering their villages. Almost 100 families had moved to safer places and looked for government help.
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As per the website of the department of irrigation and waterways, the Ganga is flowing at a level of 25.39 m, which is above .09 m from extreme danger level, while the district irrigation department claimed that people need not fear about anything.
The executive engineer of the irrigation department, Pranab Kumar Samanta, said, “Some houses built on unprotected low land between the river and embankment may have waters from the Ganga, but as such, there is nothing to worry about. Our engineers are taking a close look at the embankments. As far as the trend is seen, the water level may rise a bit more.”
In Birnagar-I, it is learnt that a sum of Rs 90 lakh will be spent by the local panchayat to stop the erosion on a temporary basis. The Barrage authorities have also started laying sandbags on the banks for the same.
“From December, the Farakka Barrage project will be taking serious steps to stop erosion at Baishnabnagar,” sources said.
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