Hans News Service Bareilly

Anancient temple was swept away by the waters of the Ram Ganga river amid severe erosion in Bareilly district, while an overhead water tank under construction collapsed into the Kichha river, officials said. The temple, believed by locals to be centuries-old, was located in Kapoorpur village in the Mirganj tehsil area. It was completely engulfed by the Ram Ganga following days of intense erosion. Villagers noticed the temple had been washed away on Wednesday morning.

The temple was considered an important place of worship for the villagers.

Efforts were made by the administration and villagers to protect the structure, but the strong river current rendered the measures ineffective.

The temple platform and two pillars had already been washed away before the entire structure disappeared into the river.

The erosion has also posed a threat to nearby agricultural fields and inhabited areas, with villagers demanding permanent measures to check the erosion.

An overhead water tank being constructed at a cost of around Rs 4 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission also collapsed into the Kichha river in the Shergarh block on Tuesday morning.

The tank began to tilt as erosion intensified due to the strong river current and collapsed into the river within about four seconds, according to officials. No casualties were reported. The boundary wall of the tank had been washed away four days earlier, following which officials were informed. Mirganj Sub Divisional Magistrate Nidhi Shukla visited the site and took stock of the situation after speaking to officials and villagers.

Construction of the tank in Bais Nagar gram panchayat had been underway since 2023. The tank structure had been completed, and pipelines had also been laid, officials said. The site is around 50 km from the district headquarters.

Shukla said areas affected by river erosion were being continuously monitored and revenue and departmental teams had been directed to keep a close watch on the situation.

“Relief and protective work is also being carried out at places affected by erosion,” she said, adding another overhead tank located around eight to 10 metres from the river was also at risk of collapsing and its safety had been assessed.