Water level recedes, leaves behind trail of muck, stench

Prayagraj: Even as the twin rivers - Ganga and Yamuna - continued to show receding trend in the city on Monday it left a trail of muck and stench behind.
Officials of the flood control department claimed that the level of Ganga at Phaphamau and Chhatnag receded 3cm and 12 cm respectively in the past four hours, while the level of Yamuna went down by 12 cm at the same time.
Officials said both the rivers are now flowing 3 to 4m below the danger mark at different points in the district till evening.
The level of the Ganga at Phaphamau and Chhatnag was 81.56m and 79.22m respectively till 4 pm. At Naini, the Yamuna was flowing at 79.78m. The danger mark for both the rivers is 84.73m.
The residents of low-lying areas said though it was a big relief that the water was going down but now they were grappling with mud and muck.
“We have urged municipal and health authorities to intensify the cleanliness drive as bad odour has left the residents troubled,” said Anamika of Ganga Nagar.
She added that people would have to shell out extra bucks to repair their homes once the flood water recedes completely.
Also, teerth purohits and pandas are making a comeback on the ghats.
Officials of the flood control department said they were maintaining a close watch, and necessary steps would be initiated after assessing the situation.