Waterlogging turns Varanasi into an island

At a time when Covid-19 is still wreaking havoc, and the government and the local administration are making tall claims that people’s safety is being ensured against all odds and challenges, the plight of the city’s Jalalipur paints a different picture.

Varanasi: If you are living in Uttar Pradesh and want to have a glimpse of the sea’s panoramic view, then you are most welcome to Varanasi, the Lok Sabha seat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, the sea which you will see in Varanasi will be different from the one which has salty water.

The sea of Kashi is full of rainwater. It also has the dirty water of the holy city’s drains. You won’t find any fish in the sea of Varanasi but unbearable foul smell and mosquitoes. This deadly combination of mosquitoes and stagnated water is posing a serious threat to people’s health.

At a time when Covid-19 is still wreaking havoc, and the government and the local administration are making tall claims that people’s safety is being ensured against all odds and challenges, the plight of the city’s Jalalipur paints a different picture.

It is literally marooned with dirty water everywhere. People are sandwiched between life and death. While the coronavirus might not be a threat to them but the rampant dirt has made the people's life nothing less than hell.

Over 50 houses marooned

Over 50 houses in the colony are inundated affecting nearly 1,000 people. Ironically, Jalalipur colony, which is on the bank of river Varuna has been doomed to co-exist with dirt, while Kashi is considered as the neatest city of Uttar Pradesh. So far, no one either from the administration or political parties has come to enquire about the well being of residents of Jalalipur.

A team of ETV Bharat went to meet the residents of Jalalipur and find out their problems and spoke to weavers in the area. Talking to ETV Bharat, they shared their pain and helplessness in getting rid of the problem of waterlogging.

Weavers starving

Weavers of Jalalipur told ETV Bharat that they have already been killed by the coronavirus and whatever little bit of hope was left to earn their livelihood was trampled by the colossal problem of waterlogging in the area.

The sewerage water has entered into houses due to which all power looms are closed. The menace of mosquitoes is another serious problem. People are forced to sleep on the rooftops of their houses. Children are falling sick.

However, the plight of Jalalipur residents has not yet drawn the attention of anyone in the corridors of power.

Roads, lanes, cremation grounds inundated

Bilal Ahmad, a weaver, said that they have complained to the authorities about water logging many times but they have not got any solution except the assurance. All the roads and lanes leading to the hospital are blocked making it difficult to take a sick man even to the hospital.

Due to the leakage in the sewage system, drinking water has also been contaminated. "We do not know how to stay alive. Recently, we collected Rs 3,000 from contributions and got the water pumped out but in vain. Since the sewage is overflowing, dirty water has again spread out across the area of Jalalipur," one of the weavers said.

Unfortunately, both the cremation grounds of Jalalipur are also submerged in the floodwaters. People are worried about the burial of their near and dear dead ones. Since the waterlogged cremation grounds are of no use, it means that if someone dies, there won’t be any place to bury his body.