Rafting operations in Haridwar have been halted since the Ganga river is less than two meters over the alert level, according to officials. This development came 2 days after the entrance of the southwest monsoons and severe rains.
All flood control checkpoints, barrages, and emergency management teams are on high alert, and district officials are monitoring the situation around the clock. As a precautionary measure, the Ganga stretch in Pauri, Tehri, and Dehradun districts near Rishikesh has been closed to operating or rafting until further orders.
River rafting and related activity in and around Ganga has been prohibited till further orders, according to Narendranagar sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Devendra Negi, because it is unsafe to continue rafting due to constant rainfall in the Garhwal division.
According to Bhimgoda Barrage River water level data, Ganga was flowing at 291.80 meters on Monday morning, just 1.20 meters below the danger threshold (293 meters). The water flow was reported at 292.20m on Sunday midday, prompting an alert in surrounding Ganga communities.
Haridwar mayor Anita Sharma urged authorities on Monday to clean the city’s minor and major clogged nullah drains, following reports of waterlogging in various parts of the city.
Anita Sharma said in a statement “Municipal Corporation officials have been directed to carry out the cleaning of small and medium drains inside the market, roadside and colonies immediately from Monday onwards.
Sharma further added “The city reeled under waterlogging for the past two days rain, and it is due to the laxity of civic officials. Previous years too, nullah gang squads had effectively carried out cleaning of drains ahead of monsoon season but this time some officials and BJP councillors deliberately hindered the process.”