Flood and rain water may turn Allahpur into a Sangam of Horror

17 August, 2012

Dangerous reports are pouring in from the low-lying areas of Allahpur - a township in Allahabad near the Sangam river. One can see from photographs how half-sunk cars are moving through the flooded roads.

IF THE menacingly rising waters of the Ganga and Jamuna do not recede, and in case the weather god also chooses to be unkind by sending down rain in torrents, many people there might think of shifting to safer areas so as to escape the threat from the rising tide.

The authorities might be trying to do their best to cope with the situation. But often their best is not good enough to meet the requirements of the situation. The situation is precarious. To save Allahpur from the rising Ganga waters, the sluize gates of the Bakshi Bandh have been closed. But as a result of this closure, rain water from the low-lying areas of Allahpur, which cannot be sent across the bandh, is accumulating there.

Some five to six years ago one would see boats rowing in Allahpur while some of the houses lay submerged. Anti-social elements were seen boating into areas where houses had been evacuated with a view to removing whatever valuable items. There were reports about men sleeping on their cots on the ground-floor suddenly finding their beds moving. Some of them shouted, 'earthquake'. Others screamed, 'ghost' till they realized that their bed was floating on the water that had entered the premises when they were fast asleep.

A report says that if the rain continues like this for a few more days and the sluize gates remain closed to protect the locality from flood waters, then it is feared that large parts of Baghambari Gaddi Road, Baghambari Housing Scheme, Matiara Road and Tilak Nagar in Allahabad may go under water.

Pumps have been installed to throw out the water. But often due to power cut or the shortage of diesel the stoppage of pumping operations takes place leading to water accumulation as happened on Sunday, August 12 when rain played havoc for over two hours, and the pumps lay dead. It is only when pumps started working that there was some relief. Can we hope for some emergency pumping arrangements or will Allahpurians have to pray to the rain God to show mercy?