Pitrapaksh pilgrims cautioned against rise in Falgu water level

Gaya: Pilgrims visiting Gaya for ‘pind daan’ have been cautioned against an imminent rise in the water level of Falgu river and a likelihood of flash flood in the wake of a warning received from India Meteorological Department (IMD)-Ranchi. The IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in the catchment area of the Falgu river, which mostly falls in neighbouring Jharkhand, including Chatra and Hazaribagh. Heavy to very heavy rainfall has been predicted between Sept 15-17 in Chatra, Hazaribagh and Koderma districts having common border with Gaya district.On the basis of the input, Gaya district magistrate Shashank Shubhankar on Monday directed all officials connected with the ongoing Pitrapaksh Mela management to keep 24x7 vigil and ensure the safety of the pilgrims as well as local residents.Earlier in the day, the district administration received a notification issued by engineer in chief, Flood Control and Water Management, which referred to the input received from the IMD.Five teams of state disaster response force (SDRF) are already deployed and more deployment may be done as per requirement.According to the DM, alert has been issued to all concerned and strict vigil is being maintained.During his review of the Pitrapaksh Mela management, CM Nitish Kumar too directed the officials to strictly monitor the water level in Falgu river where the pilgrims offer ‘tarpan’.