Varanasi: Fierce winds and heavy showers sweeping Varanasi and adjoining parts of Purvanchal since Friday uprooted trees, snapped branches onto overhead power lines and disrupted traffic and electricity supply, keeping normal life on edge amid a relentless spell of rain.While a few spells of heavy rain were recorded from Sept 23, after the impact of Cyclone Arnab began, until Thursday, the widespread weather system started disrupting normal life from Friday. Barring a brief pause on Saturday morning, incessant rain accompanied by very strong winds continued across Varanasi and several other parts of Purvanchal.Tree falls on Saturday morning caused major inconvenience to commuters near Havelia crossing in the Sarnath area, at the Chandmari TFC turn on the Bhojubir-Chandmari road and in Rohania. Locals, along with teams from the district administration and Varanasi Municipal Corporation, stepped in to clear fallen branches and restore movement.Branches crashing onto overhead electric wires also disrupted power supply in several parts of the district, while transformer faults forced shutdowns. Power officials and linemen struggled to restore supplies amid continuing showers.The Central Water Commission’s report said the Ganga, whose water level had receded to 65.40 metres against the warning level of 70.26 metres, had started rising again. By late Saturday afternoon, the river was rising at a rate of 4 cm per hour.Relentless rain and strong winds also heightened concerns among cultivators. While vegetable and flower growers worried about damage to their crops, gusty winds flattened standing paddy plants.In Azamgarh district, a major accident was narrowly averted on Saturday morning when a huge peepal tree fell on an SUV near Srinagar village on the Azamgarh-Bilariaganj road around 10am during heavy rain and strong winds. The occupants — Wahid Khan, his mother Rukhsana Bano and 10-year-old Zohair Khan — escaped safely, though the car was badly damaged.Villagers rescued the occupants, while police later helped clear the road after hours of effort. Traffic resumed only after the obstruction was removed.
