The Centre has sought a report on the flood situation in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi.
Waterlogged Varanasi is far from becoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream Kyoto. Floods in the PM's constituency has left the Centre and the local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit red- faced.
The Centre has now sought a report on the flood situation from the local administration. Incidentally, the municipal corporation in Varanasi is also governed by the BJP. Varanasi is in the list of the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme of the urban development ministry. The Centre has, so far, invested over Rs 100 crore in the city for strengthening road, laying of drains, cleaning of ghats and other schemes.
Heavy downpour over the last one week had brought Varanasi to a standstill, with knee-deep water chocking the streets. Ganga has been overflowing, with most of its ghats submerged under water. There are power cuts and acute shortage of drinking water and food. Even the local 'mini PMO' has received numerous complaints.
Since 2014, most parts of the city has been dug open to lay sewer lines and to broaden roads. "Water could not recede because of construction work," said a local BJP functionary, who did not want to be named.
While the local BJP unit shied away from speaking, critics blame it on the government. "There is just no coordination. Projects are not integrated and each agency is working in isolation. Drains were not desilted before the monsoon and river back flowed into the city," said Professor Ramagya Shashidhar of the Banaras Hindu University.
However, the Centre is towing a cautious line. "We have asked for a status report. The ground situation is quite understandable. The civic administration will restore normalcy at the earliest," said a senior officer of the urban development ministry.
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