Prayagraj: A viral three-storey ashram, estimated to be 40–50 feet high and built in the middle of the Ganga over nearly two decades, collapsed late Friday evening after erosion around its foundation weakened the structure, leaving one disciple missing and another injured.During the monsoon, rising water levels in the Ganga often submerged the surrounding area, leaving the ashram appearing like a tiny island. Several videos of the ashram had recently gone viral on social media.Prayagraj Police, along with Jal Police personnel and an NDRF team, have been conducting extensive search operations since Saturday morning. However, 40-year-old Harish Singh remains untraceable, as the strong current of the Ganga is hampering the search efforts.The incident occurred around 7 pm at the ashram of Swami Bajrang Das in Bela Sailabi Kachhar, around 2 km from Badra Sanauti village. The seer had left the building a couple of days earlier. On Friday evening, three disciples—Harish Singh and Sandeep Nishad, both residents of Kotwa, and Sonu Pandit of Naini—had entered the structure to retrieve their belongings when it suddenly collapsed.Harish was swept away, while Sandeep was trapped under the debris. Fellow disciple Bholu pulled Sandeep out and brought him to the riverbank. With the help of locals, Sandeep was taken to a private hospital, while Sonu was rescued safely.Sources said the structure was initially a small hut but was gradually expanded over the past two decades into a three-storey building equipped with several amenities. These included a large solar panel installed on the rooftop to power the building and its facilities. Standing on four pillars in the riverbed, the building had reportedly developed cracks during this year’s floods, when water also entered the premises.According to locals, the Ganga had been rising in recent days but subsequently began receding. The fall in the water level intensified soil erosion around the ashram, weakening its foundation and widening cracks in its walls. Sandbags had also been placed to prevent seepage, but the measures failed as erosion continued.Swami Bajrang Das had earlier used the structure for meditation and as a place to stay. During floods, devotees would shift him to a hut near the Samaya Mai temple. This year, however, he had already moved out and was staying on a motorboat amid concerns over the building’s weakening condition.SHO Jhunsi said the administration had been trying for the past two days to persuade the seer to vacate the premises after cracks appeared in the structure. Despite the warnings, some disciples entered the building on Friday to collect their belongings shortly before it collapsed.The collapse has also raised questions about how such a large structure was allowed to come up in the middle of the Ganga. Several prominent seers, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed they had earlier raised objections to the construction with the authorities, but their concerns were not acted upon.Swami Hari Chaitanya of Tikar Mafi Ashram questioned the circumstances that led to the incident. “We were surprised why no one tried to stop the construction in its early stage; now, who is responsible for the disciple who is missing? If there is a clear mandate that no one can construct anything on the banks of the Ganga, how did a seer construct a three-storey building right in the middle of the river?” he said.Other seers also alleged that similar constructions were coming up along the road towards the Mela area on the Jhunsi side and claimed that these were not being adequately checked.ACP Arun Parashar said efforts were continuing to trace Harish Singh.
