Ganges water levels surge in Sambhal, threatening villages and crops across district

The Ganges River's steadily rising water levels have heightened fears among residents of villages along its banks in the Gunnour, Junawai and Rajpura areas of Sambhal district, with floodwaters now reaching agricultural fields and threatening several settlements. The water level has been climbing continuously for the past three days, causing alarm as the river edges closer to inhabited areas and damages crops standing in fields.

Water from the Ganges has begun entering fields in multiple villages, raising serious concerns about crop losses. The encroaching floodwaters have created an atmosphere of panic among villagers living near the river's edge. As erosion along the Ganges intensifies, residents of riverside villages have grown increasingly worried about the safety of their homes and the fate of their crops.

At the Rajghat and Naraura Ganges ghats in the Gunnour area, water levels continue to rise steadily. The district administration has been advising villagers to remain alert and vigilant. Security arrangements have also been put in place at the ghats to ensure public safety.

Several villages now face an imminent flood threat, including Raghupur Pukhta, Totapur, Ishampur Tanda, Mengra, Narupura, Shaling Ki Madhaiya, Maidawali and Badangi. According to reports, the impact of continuous water releases from the Haridwar and Bijnor barrages since Saturday is now visible at the Naraura barrage. As of six o'clock on Monday evening, the downstream discharge at Naraura barrage was recorded at 1,78,765 cusecs per second. At the same time, 7,858 cusecs per second was being released into the Lower Ganges Canal and 7,432 cusecs per second into the Parallel Lower Ganges Canal. The administration is continuously monitoring the situation.

In Badangi village in the Junawai area, floodwater has reached the forest areas. Floodwater has also entered the lanes and corridors of Badangi village in Junawai.

The flood crisis in the region is deepening as the Ganges water level continues to climb. In Totapur and Badangi villages, water has reached farmers' cattle sheds. The soaking of fodder has resulted in estimated losses running into lakhs of rupees for ten to fifteen farmers. Totapur resident Ram Bharose lost fodder worth twenty thousand rupees, Jagdish Kumar lost forty thousand rupees worth, Viresh Kumar lost twenty thousand rupees worth, and Badangi resident Charan Singh's fodder worth thirty thousand rupees was destroyed.

As the flood situation worsens, Charan Singh and Viresh Kumar are now tying their cattle along the Kashipur Sadhupatty Link Road. Madanpal Singh of Udariya Nagla reported that Pushpendra Kumar has relocated to Narangpur along with his animals and essential belongings. In Totapur, the cattle sheds of Pappu Singh, Charan Singh, Vikas, Ved Prakash, Rajpal, Rakesh and Dani Singh have also been affected by the rising floodwaters. The affected farmers have demanded fodder supplies and financial compensation for their losses.

The continuous release of water from upstream barrages at Haridwar and Bijnor is having a cascading effect, with the Naraura barrage now discharging more than 1.78 lakh cusecs of water downstream, compounding the flood threat to vulnerable villages in the region.