'Varanasi Ganga Ghats sinking due to change in river course, tectonic activities'

Sinking ghats along the banks of the ancient holy city of Varanasi have been posing a risk. Scientists in their research findings predicted impending danger to buildings along the Varanasi Ganga Ghats.

Varanasi: Sinking ghats on the banks of the River Ganga in Varanasi have been posing an impending risk to old structures. Scientists in their research findings have predicted danger to buildings along the Varanasi Ganga Ghats. There are so many factors responsible for such changes underneath the Gang Ghat soil.

Soil erosion has been taking place as the Ganga river frequently changes its course. The Ganga river has two flanks namely the Ramnagar side and the river's Varanasi side. The movement of the mainstream is northward near Varanasi city. The river currents sometimes erode soil from the Varanasi side or sometimes from the Ramnagar side. Besides the Ganga river is sitting on the fault line, which is also a seismic zone. A lot of tectonic activities have been taking place underneath the riverbed.

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Chairman of the Mahamana Ganga Research Institute and Banaras Hindu University Professor BD Tripathi speaking about the erosion said, "Near Varanasi, the course of the Ganga river takes the northward direction. The reason behind this is a fault line passes through the Ganga river basin. We observe tectonic activities near the river basis leading to quake-like situations. The city has experienced tremors on several occasions. Apart from this, underneath soil erosion due to change in river course is another factor leading to subsidence of ghats."