 "Lakshman Jhula, Rishikesh")
The water level of the Ganges flowing through Uttarakhand's Rishikesh has reduced over the past 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday.
According to officials, the water level of the river Ganga at the Parmarth Niketan Ghat has declined in the past twenty-four hours.
The Lord Shiva statue near the Parmarth Niketan Ashram in the holy town was partially submerged in the river on Tuesday. Today the water level has decreased and reached below the lower portion of the stone sculpture, they said.
Rishikesh was witnessing a flood-like situation and water level of the river rose above the danger level following heavy rainfall on Monday.
According to officials, the Triveni Ghat had also got submerged.
Rishikesh police barricaded tourists from going to Ganga Ghat and police rescued 20 people trapped in submerged houses in Rishikesh's Ambagh, said officials.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had on Monday conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in the state and also reviewed the increasing water level of the Ganga river in Rishikesh.
He conducted an aerial survey of Mohanchatti, the disaster-affected area of Yamkeshwar block of Pauri district.
After the survey, chief minister Dhami said that several places had been damaged in the last 48 hours due to incessant rains in the State adding that the Kedarnath Yatra has been stopped for the next two days.
Rishikesh recorded the highest rainfall, across the country, in a span of 24 hours on Monday morning with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data showing that it received 42.00 cm of rain during the period.
Chief minister Dhami earlier held separate telephonic conversations with district magistrates and took stock of the devastation in the State caused by heavy rains.
