The rising water level of the Ganga river in Bhagalpur district has severely disrupted cremation services, affecting both the living and the deceased. The renowned Barari cremation ghat complex has been inundated with floodwaters, making the situation critical. The Ganga's flow has reached the electric crematorium, leaving almost no safe space for last rites.

Due to the severe shortage of space at the ghat, families are forced to wait for hours to cremate the bodies of their loved ones. With the main ghat complex submerged, temporary pyres are now being set up along the approach road leading to the ghat. Cremations are somehow being managed in this limited area, approximately 150 feet long and 50 feet wide.

Only eight to ten bodies can be cremated simultaneously in this constricted space, whereas normally a large number of pyres could be lit at once. A queue of bodies is forming at the ghat, awaiting available space, which has compounded the distress of grieving families.

On average, 35 to 40 bodies arrive at Barari Ghat daily for final rites. Besides Bhagalpur, people from neighboring Banka district and bordering districts of Jharkhand like Godda, Sahibganj, and Dumka also come here, facing significant difficulties. Local residents report that the temporary site currently used for cremations was previously a large pit filled with debris. The municipal corporation promptly leveled the ground over the past two days by dumping soil, rubble, and bricks.

Officials fear that if the Ganga's water level continues to rise, the entire system at Barari cremation ghat could collapse. In such an emergency, the district administration feels an urgent need to identify alternative cremation sites in safe locations near the city to ensure uninterrupted and dignified last rites.