Kanpur: The Ganga’s water level rose by nearly 60 cm in just 20 hours as continuous rainfall in the Himalayan catchment areas increased the river’s inflow, prompting the Kanpur administration to issue an advisory asking residents living along the riverbanks and visitors to remain alert.With the river reaching the steps of several ghats, authorities also opened 30 gates of the Ganga Barrage to regulate the rising water.According to officials, the Ganga’s water level at Shuklaganj rose from 110.18 metres at 6 pm on Monday to 110.37 metres by 2 pm on Tuesday, and the upward trend is expected to continue over the next few days due to sustained inflow from the upper catchment areas.In view of the increasing discharge, 30 gates of the Ganga Barrage were opened. On Monday, the barrage released 41,933 cusecs of water, while 44,148 cusecs flowed downstream from Haridwar and 76,029 cusecs from Narora, further adding to the river’s volume.Officials said continuous rainfall in the hilly regions is likely to keep the Ganga’s water level on the rise over the coming days.At Anandeshwar Mandir Ghat, the rising river reached the lower steps, forcing boatmen to moor their boats along the ghat. With the current becoming stronger and the water depth increasing, the administration has appealed to devotees and visitors to avoid entering the river and exercise utmost caution at all ghats.
