Raging Ganga River floods Varanasi Ghats, triggers alert across Uttar Pradesh

Amid relentless monsoon rains sweeping across northern India, the Ganga River has surged to alarming levels, triggering flood alerts in several districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Varanasi and Prayagraj.

In Varanasi, the situation is particularly dire, with all 84 ghats completely submerged and the sacred Manikarnika Ghat entirely under water. Rising waters have inundated low-lying areas, severely disrupting daily religious rituals and riverside activities that are central to the city’s cultural life.

According to the Central Water Commission’s Middle Ganga Division, water levels in Varanasi rose by 0.7 meters in just 24 hours, pushing the river above the danger mark, reports Indian news agencies.

To manage the rising waters, authorities have opened 18 gates of the Matatila Dam in Lalitpur and 8 gates of the Govind Sagar Dam, in an effort to prevent further overflow.

In Sambhal, the district administration has set up 16 flood control posts and remains on high alert as the situation continues to evolve.
Earlier this month, continuous heavy downpours in Varanasi had already led to flooding at the ghats and water entering temple premises — a situation now worsening with the swelling of the Ganga.