Varanasi: Over 2,000 dwellers of low-lying localities along the Varuna river were still bound to remain in relief camps as the water level of the Ganga remained less than a metre below the warning level, while the pace of receding was very slow on Monday.After floodwater drained out from many parts of the low-lying areas, families that had taken shelter in relief camps and safe places started returning to their homes. Compared to 4,048 people from 877 families present in relief camps on Sunday, the figures reduced to 2,703 people from 594 families on Monday.As per the Central Water Commission’s report, the water level of the Ganga, which was recorded at 69.76 metres against the warning level of 70.26 metres on Sunday afternoon, receded to 69.61 metres. As the water level was receding at a pace of 0.5 centimetre per hour, no major respite was evident in the flood-hit areas.No change could be made in arrangements such as cremation at the upper platform of Manikarnika Ghat and on the street leading to Harishchandra Ghat, as well as performing daily Ganga Aartis on the roofs of houses at Dashashwamedh and other ghats. Apart from low-lying localities along the Varuna river, people in Ganga upstream localities like Maruti Nagar and others in the Samneghat area remained dependent on boats to reach the market to arrange essential commodities. These areas have become marooned due to the backflow of Ganga water through a major nullah.
