The flood in Varanasi, a sacred city for Hindus, has put cremations along the banks of the river Ganges on pause. People, who had in some cases traveled from other Indian communities to bid farewell to their departed started to conduct cremations in nearby streets rather than on the sacred river's banks.
According to some traditional beliefs, if a dead person is cremated along the bank of the Ganges in Varanasi, he or she will be liberated from the birth and death cycle and attain moksha, which can be translated as salvation.
According to news agency PTI, most river banks are entirely submerged in the holy city due to torrential rain.
To make matters worse, a long queue is reportedly emerging due to space constraints in the city.
By Friday, the water level of the Ganges in Varanasi stood at 70.86 meters, just 0.40 meters below the danger mark of 71.262 meters; however, it had already entered low-lying areas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke with the district magistrate and instructed them to provide all possible help to the people and officials, who may contact the Prime Minister’s Office directly if required.
Varanasi has been an electoral constituency of PM Modi since 2014.
Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday predicted that thunderstorms and heavy rain in several areas of Uttar Pradesh, would last, including Varanasi, until August 30.
Floods are common in India during the monsoon season between June and September. In August, at least 70 people died in North India due to rain-related incidents.