After Bihar, dozens of bodies found floating in Ganga in UP

A day after dead bodies were seen floating in Ganga river at Buxar in Bihar, dozens of bodies were found floating in the river in Ballia and Ghazipur districts in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

According to the sources, the bodies were seen near Bharauli in Ballia and Narwa and Bulaki Das ghats in Gahmar area in the Ghazipur district. Local administration fished out many of the bodies, which were close to the riverbank, and had them buried, sources said.

Ghazipur district magistrate MP Singh said that the administration was trying to find out where the bodies had come from. A probe was also ordered into the matter.

Also read: Floating bodies of suspected Covid victims leave Buxar villagers horrified

Incidentally, Gahmar is adjacent to Bihar's Buxar. Officials suspect that the dead bodies found floating near Buxar had also reached there from the UP side of the river.

According to the sources, people have been dumping the dead in the river as there is an acute shortage of wood for the pyre.

''There is a shortage of firewood... whatever is available is very costly,'' said a resident from Kanpur.

Reports said that dozens of dead bodies were buried on the banks of the cremation ghats in Ganga in Unnao district, which was adjacent to Kanpur owing to the shortage of firewood.

Some bodies were buried in pits, which are barely three to four feet deep. During the monsoon season, when the river overflows its banks, these bodies may be swept by the strong currents downstream.