Alarming drop in water level in Ganga at Varanasi; DM’s urgent message

There is alarm in Varanasi at the fast receding water level in the holy river Ganga. The District Magistrate of Varanasi last week pleaded with the Chief Secretary (Irrigation) of Uttar Pradesh to take immediate steps to release water from the Kanpur or Naroura barrage to ensure a modest flow of water in the river.

District Magistrate Yogeshwar Ram Mishra, in an urgent communication, said that he had himself visited the river bank and the Ghats and that he found the drastic reduction in the water level alarming.

Mishra drew the attention of the Chief Secretary to the historical and spiritual importance of Varanasi, which is visited by millions of pilgrims every year. While he does not mention it in the letter, Varanasi is also part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency and one of the ‘smart cities’ in the Urban Development ministry’s priority list.

Mishra’s letter can be seen below:

While roads, lighting and construction have been given priority, the river is suffering from both pollutants and a rising level of arsenic. Saurabh Singh, arsenic expert of Inner Voice Foundation, an NGO working on arsenic mitigation across the Gangetic plains, told the National Herald last week, “It is unfortunate that the Central and state governments are recklessly destroying the natural ecological balance that used to keep the Ganga water clean. It is happening in the name of development of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency.

Instead of flushing sufficient water in the holy river to keep it flowing and cleaning the naturally present pollutants with honest intention, the government is indulging only in gimmickry.

Now, they are going to shift the turtle sanctuary from here to build a floating tourist village on the river, ignoring the fact that these reptiles keep cleaning the river water,” Singh said.

He also pointed out, “Thousands of fish were found dead near Lalita Ghat because of shortage of oxygen in water and presence of other pollutants. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the growing arsenic level in the river water would soon start killing humans too,” Singh added.

The city with a population of two million is also facing an acute shortage of drinking water. While the requirement of water in the city is estimated to be 311 MLD, the actual supply is pegged at 135 MLD.

An irate resident questioned the expenses incurred on beautifying the city, which has seen an overdrive in construction and lighting etc. during the last four years. The money, they feel, could have been spent in making the river clean and in ensuring a steady supply of drinking water to the residents.

“Even during severest of summer months, we could never see the last step of the stairs leading to the river at the different ghats,” recalls AD, a third-generation resident of the holy city of Varanasi.

“But this year, the river has dried up so much that to reach the river one has to walk at least 30 feet in the sand,” he claimed.

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