Watch: UP cop offers prayers to floodwater outside his home, calls it a ‘blessing'

Mint

2 days ago

A police official in Uttar Pradesh has described the floodwater inside his residence in Prayagraj as a blessing and has even offered prayers to the swollen waters—a video of which is now doing the rounds on the internet.
Nishad describes himself in his Instagram bio as 'PSO Hon'ble Justice High Court Allahabad, national swimmer & UP Police swimming champion.'
The officer, Chandradeep Nishad, has posted two videos. In one of them, the uniformed officer is seen offering milk and rose petals to the waterlogged street while hailing 'Jai Ganga Maiya ki' (Hail Mother Ganga).
He shared the video on his Instagram account with the caption: 'Mother Ganga arrived at our house while leaving for duty this morning. Got blessings by worshiping Maa Ganga at my doorstep. Hail Mother Ganga.'
In another video, Nishad is seen dipping into the water, which has risen above waist level inside his house. He also says, 'Thousands of devotees come to you (Ganga), but you yourself came to bless me.'
He is also seen swimming in the floodwater while repeatedly chanting 'Jai Ganga Maiya.'
The videos received mixed reactions online. While some praised his devotion, others expressed concern over the worsening flood situation.
This monsoon season, heavy rainfall has led to severe flooding and waterlogging across several parts of northern India, causing extensive property damage and repeated disruptions.
Most parts of Uttar Pradesh are expected to receive normal to above-normal rainfall in the coming weeks, according to recent weather projections.
Climate models, including those from the Monsoon Mission, suggest that the ongoing neutral El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean are likely to persist throughout the season.
Meanwhile, the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is projected to turn negative by the end of the monsoon. Due to these factors, the easternmost parts of the state—especially areas bordering Bihar—are expected to receive near-normal rainfall during August and September, while the rest of the state may experience above-average precipitation, according to a Hindustan Times report.
'At present, western and southern Uttar Pradesh may witness below-normal temperatures in August, whereas eastern UP is likely to record normal to above-normal temperatures,' said Atul Kumar Singh, senior scientist at the Lucknow Meteorological Office.