Prayagraj: Relentless rain continued to lash the Sangam City for the third consecutive day on Thursday, throwing normal life out of gear and turning large parts of the city into virtual islands. Intermittent spells of rain were reported from almost all urban and rural areas of the district, leaving roads submerged and commuters stranded for hours.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours, raising concerns over further waterlogging in low-lying areas and a rise in the water levels of the Ganga and Yamuna.Meanwhile, the water levels of both the Ganga and the Yamuna continued to rise gradually on Thursday, although officials ruled out any immediate flood threat to the city. According to the irrigation department, the Ganga was flowing at 78.68 metres at Phaphamau and 75.04 metres at Chhatnag at 4 pm, while the Yamuna touched 75.32 metres at Naini.The maximum and minimum temperatures on Thursday were recorded at 27.4 degrees Celsius and 24.4 degrees Celsius, respectively, while the city received 15 mm of rainfall during the previous 24 hours.Thick clouds dominated the sky throughout the day, and although the intensity of rainfall varied from place to place, traffic movement remained slow across the city. Attendance at schools, colleges and offices was also affected as many people chose to remain indoors.More than 1,000 houses were reportedly inundated after rainwater entered residential neighbourhoods, forcing families to spend hours trying to protect furniture, electrical appliances and other household belongings.Among the worst-hit localities were Rajrooppur, Anandpuram Colony, Jafri Colony, Bengali Tola in Bai Ka Bagh, Leader Road, Rambagh, Khuldabad, Katju Road, Ram Bhavan crossing, Medical College crossing, George Town, Karelabagh and Baghambari Road in Allapur.Water also accumulated beneath the Rambagh railway overbridge, along the service lane of the High Court flyover and on the under-construction Chief Minister Grid Road in Tagore Town. Even prominent institutions, including the Civil Lines police station, the Samajwadi Party office on Malviya Road, Kulbhaskar Ashram Degree College and CMP Degree College, were affected by waterlogging.As frustration mounted, residents took to social media platforms to share photographs and videos of flooded streets, traffic congestion and submerged neighbourhoods. Several councillors also criticised the civic authorities over the recurring problem.Residents complained that the situation had deteriorated further despite repeated assurances from officials. With more rain forecast, many feared that conditions could worsen in the coming days.
