Patna: Water levels in the Ganga and Punpun rivers fell on Monday, offering some relief to Patna district, but the flood threat has not fully eased. Both rivers continued to flow above their danger marks at key monitoring points.
The situation remains a concern because the Ganga is still significantly above the danger mark at several locations, while water levels in some downstream areas continue to rise.
Ganga Falls At Digha And Gandhi Ghat
At Digha Ghat, the Ganga level fell from 51.86 metres at 10pm on Sunday to 51.70 metres by 2pm on Monday, a decline of 16cm.
Despite the fall, the river remained 1.25 metres above the danger mark at the monitoring point.
At Gandhi Ghat, the level dropped from 50.48 metres to 50.36 metres during the same period. It was still 1.76 metres above the danger mark.
At Maner, the Ganga stood at 53.49 metres at 2pm on Monday, around 1.49 metres above the danger mark of 52 metres.
Hathidah also recorded a marginal decline, with the water level falling from 43.52 metres at 6am to 43.48 metres at 2pm.
Punpun Sees A Sharp Decline
The Punpun recorded a substantial fall at Sripalpur.
Its water level declined from 53.47 metres on Monday morning to 52.16 metres by 7pm, a drop of 1.31 metres in around 11 hours.
However, the river was still 1.56 metres above the danger mark, meaning the improvement has not yet removed the flood risk.
Dardha River Adds To Concern
The Dardha river remains a concern in parts of Dhanarua.
At Kolhachak, the river was around 2.45 metres above the danger mark, although its level was falling.
At Veer, the river was around 1.30 metres above the danger mark and was still rising.
The contrasting trends underline why authorities continue to monitor river levels even as the Ganga and Punpun have started to recede at several locations.
Downstream Levels Remain A Watchpoint
The fall in Patna also needs to be viewed against conditions further downstream.
Water levels in the Ganga at Munger, Bhagalpur and Kahalgaon were still rising. This indicates that the overall river system remains under pressure and that conditions could change depending on the movement of water downstream.
For Patna, the immediate concern is therefore not only whether water levels are falling, but whether they remain safely below danger marks for a sustained period.
Two Deaths Reported In Floodwater
Two deaths were reported in floodwater in Patna district.
An 18-year-old, Veeru Kumar, died in Sultanpur in Fatuha. In another incident, the body of 54-year-old Mantu Kumar was recovered from Dudhaela in Maner.
The incidents underline the risks faced by people living in flood-affected areas despite the recent fall in river levels.
Relief Demands Continue
CPI(ML) workers staged a protest at the Fatuha block office, demanding relief for people affected by the flooding.
With the Ganga and Punpun still above danger marks at several locations, the situation remains under close watch. The recent fall in water levels provides some relief, but authorities will need to monitor both local and downstream trends before the flood threat can be considered fully reduced.
