Yamuna recedes in Agra

AGRA - The swollen Yamuna river began receding in this Taj city Tuesday afternoon. However, the water level was still four feet above the lower danger mark of 495 feet, at 499 feet.

Meanwhile, the district authorities sent more than 40 teams of

paramedical staff and village workers to vaccinate cattle and supervise cleanliness operations in the affected areas.

The municipal corporation workers launched a massive drive to remove polythene bags and bottles from the drains emptying into the river.

“People should become more civic conscious. They have been dumping everything from used shoes to dirty linen in the drains, which find their way into the river,” Municipal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey told IANS, adding the drive would be intensified in the coming days.

The Ramlila ground was also cleaned up and the Mantola nullah opening into the river opposite Agra Fort was also partially cleaned.

“The civic authorities have begun cleaning the Bhairon and Mantola nullahs. The water level is also going down. It is such a respite and relief for people like us, who are living on the river bank,” said Harsh Gupta, a resident of Yamuna Kinara road.

The impact of the flood in Agra region was grim, with reports of extensive damage to standing crops and the spread of water-borne diseases.

The river had inundated most of the controversial Taj Heritage Corridor and wiped out the park at the rear of the Taj Mahal.

Muddy water entered the lawns of the Agra Fort. The river water gushed towards parts of the Yamuna Kinara road, a part of which caved in early Tuesday.

The Yamuna water level Tuesday morning was 499.6 feet.