Varanasi floods: PM Modi reviews crisis, orders war-footing relief
Synopsis
The Ganga breached its warning level in Varanasi at 70.29 metres, prompting Prime Minister Modi to personally call the city's Mayor and District Magistrate and order war-footing relief. With the danger mark at 71.26 metres and all boat operations suspended, the city's ghats and low-lying areas are on high alert — and the river is still rising.
Key Takeaways
PM Narendra Modi spoke with Varanasi Mayor Ashok Tiwari and DM Satyendra Kumar on 3 September to review the flood situation.
The Ganga crossed the warning level, recorded at 70.29 metres against a warning mark of 70.26 metres , according to the Central Water Commission .
The danger level is 71.26 metres ; the all-time highest flood level stands at 73.90 metres .
All boat operations on the Ganga in Varanasi have been suspended as a precautionary measure.
Modi directed officials to ensure relief camp facilities are fully operational and additional supplies mobilised immediately if needed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, 3 September spoke directly with Varanasi Mayor Ashok Tiwari and District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar to assess the worsening flood situation in the city, as the River Ganga breached its warning level for the first time this monsoon season. Modi directed officials to ensure relief operations run on a war footing, with no inconvenience to affected residents.
Ganga Crosses Warning Mark
According to data from the Central Water Commission, the Ganga's water level in Varanasi was recorded at 70.29 metres on Wednesday — surpassing the warning threshold of 70.26 metres. The danger level is set at 71.26 metres, while the highest flood level ever recorded stands at 73.90 metres. The breach has heightened anxiety in low-lying localities and settlements near the city's iconic ghats.
Administration's Immediate Response
The district administration suspended all boat operations on the Ganga as a precautionary measure. Officials have urged devotees, residents, and tourists to stay away from the ghats and avoid areas with strong currents. Monitoring of flood-affected zones has been intensified, with rescue and relief teams deployed across vulnerable stretches.
What Modi Directed
During his review calls, Prime Minister Modi was briefed on relief and rescue measures already underway. He directed that all necessary facilities be made available to flood-affected individuals at relief camps without delay. Standing instructions were issued to ensure additional relief supplies are mobilised immediately if required, and that the situation be monitored continuously. Modi, who represents Varanasi as a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament, has maintained close contact with the local administration throughout the monsoon period.
Wider Context and What's Next
This comes amid a broader pattern of annual monsoon flooding along the Ganga's middle stretch, which routinely inundates low-lying ghats and riverside colonies in Varanasi. With water levels still rising and the danger mark nearly a metre away, authorities are on high alert. The administration's focus now shifts to sustaining relief camp operations, preventing waterborne disease outbreaks, and ensuring timely evacuation of at-risk households should the river climb further.
Point of View
And any perception of neglect carries electoral cost. But the recurring nature of Ganga flooding in the city raises a harder question: beyond war-footing responses, what structural flood-mitigation work has been done along the ghats and low-lying colonies that flood every monsoon? The warning level breach is an annual event in many years; the real accountability test is whether relief machinery is pre-positioned before the river rises, not after.
NationPress
3 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did PM Modi personally call Varanasi officials about the floods?
Prime Minister Modi called Mayor Ashok Tiwari and District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar on 3 September to review the flood situation because the Ganga had crossed its warning level at 70.29 metres. Modi represents Varanasi as a Lok Sabha MP and has maintained close contact with the local administration on monsoon developments.
What is the current water level of the Ganga in Varanasi?
According to the Central Water Commission, the Ganga's water level in Varanasi was recorded at 70.29 metres on 3 September, above the warning level of 70.26 metres. The danger level is set at 71.26 metres, and the historical highest flood level is 73.90 metres.
What precautions has the Varanasi administration taken?
The district administration has suspended all boat operations on the Ganga and stepped up monitoring of flood-affected areas. Officials have appealed to residents, devotees, and visitors to avoid the ghats and areas with strong currents.
What did PM Modi direct officials to do?
Modi directed officials to ensure flood-affected people face no inconvenience, that all facilities at relief camps are made available immediately, and that additional relief supplies are mobilised without delay if required. He also ordered continuous monitoring of the situation with relief operations on a war footing.
Which areas of Varanasi are most at risk from the rising Ganga?
Low-lying areas and localities close to the ghats are most vulnerable as the Ganga's water level rises. The administration has specifically warned residents and visitors to stay away from ghats and areas where strong river currents are present.
