The unceasing rain since Friday night have raised the water-level of the seasonal rivers by many feet posing threat to the low lying areas of the Haridwar. Many river embankments have developed cracks which are letting the water through. At places, the portions of the embankments have been washed away with water entering the homes and sugarcane fields of the locals.
There was disruption in the movement of vehicles at the city crossings with long queues of vehicles. In Bhagwanpur, water of the village pond entered the houses. Sunday evening brought some respite as the rain stopped.
Ganga River in Haridwar is also flowing in full spate following the consistent rain in the uphill areas of Uttarakhand. The water-level in the Ganga remained close to the warning mark on Sunday. The water-level was recorded 20 cms below the warning mark of 293 metres on the morning of Sunday while the danger level is at 294 metres, informed the SDO of upper Ganga canal, Vikrant Kumar.
Acting on the warning by the metrological department regarding heavy rainfall in the past two days, the district disaster management teams were on alert and prepared for emergency. Flood chowkis made by the district disaster management team in the low lying villages of laksar, Badshahpur, Rajpur, Dallawala, Khanpur, Bhogpur and Shyampur Kangri areas of the district were asked to be on alert. The seasonal river Solani is gushing in full spate.
Speaking to The Pioneer, the sub-divisional magistrate Manish Singh said, “As many as 20 villages have been affected by the rise of Solani River. We are making regular alert announcements in the surrounding low lying areas near the Ganga River. Though there is no flood like threat in the district but still we have asked the flood control rooms to be alert. People residing near Solani River and areas have been asked to vacate. Our team is prepared for emergency in the low lying villages.”
The water-level increases during mornings and evenings at Har Ki Pauri and other ghats for which the administration has issued an alert. Fallen trees became road blocks at some places and the forest department had to use mechanical excavators to remove these at two places on hill by pass road. Traffic was disrupted and the vehicles coming from northern part of the city were routed via main Haridwar road traversing through Tulsi Chowk. The traffic could be normalised during the later part of the day. Electricity supply was disrupted in 70 villages of the district.