Prayagraj floods after 6-hour downpour, exposes gaps in flood prep

India Aug 09, 2025

A heavy six-hour downpour on Friday morning left much of Prayagraj underwater, flooding both usual trouble spots and areas that rarely see water.
Even though the Ganga and Yamuna rivers were actually receding, the city's drainage just couldn't keep up with the sudden deluge.

Main roads turned into rivers

Main roads like Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Balson Chauraha turned into rivers, with water reaching knee or even waist height.
Neighborhoods like George Town stayed flooded for hours, while places like Katra and Civil Lines—normally dry—were hit too.
Clogged drains and broken pumps made things worse, exposing how much work is needed to get the city flood-ready.
Local officials are now reviewing what went wrong with pre-monsoon prep to try to fix these gaps.