Ganga Is Overflowing As Floods Hit Varanasi: Are Schools Preparing Children For The Next Emergency?

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As of today, August 5, 2025, Varanasi continues to face the aftermath of a rising Ganga that has flooded all 84 ghats, entered schools, homes, and temples, and displaced thousands of families.

This wasn't a sudden downpour. It built up over days. The river crossed its warning mark on August 1, and by August 3, it had surged past the danger level of 71.26 metres. Water reached over 71.66 metres by August 4, flooding parts of the city and forcing the closure of schools and hostels.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been working nonstop. Trained teams are on boats, evacuating residents, and monitoring rising levels. But the situation raises a bigger question: are we preparing the next generation for emergencies like this?

Disaster Literacy Begins Early Or It Doesn't

Children learn to read, write, and count from the time they're four or five. By ten, they know about climate change, even if vaguely. But ask most of them what to do when their house is filling with water or their school is surrounded by it, and the answers aren't clear.

There's a gap - not in awareness of climate headlines, but in the kind of preparation that makes people act fast, stay calm, and help others during a flood.

The tools exist. India's Disaster Management Act supports integrating preparedness into school curriculum. Some boards already include chapters on environmental risk. But these are often theoretical and disconnected from daily life.

Flood awareness isn't a syllabus point. It's a life skill.

Simple Skills That Can Make A Big Difference

Here's what flood awareness in schools could look like:

Understanding Warning Signals: Children should be able to recognise the signs of an approaching flood-rising water, emergency sirens, official announcements, and mobile alerts.

Safe Routes and Emergency Spots: Many kids don't know where to go when water starts rising. Schools can teach them about local high-ground spots, evacuation centres, and safe walking routes.

Basic Emergency Kit Prep: Involving children in making a small go-bag-with a flashlight, clean water, first-aid items, and identification-teaches responsibility and boosts their confidence in crisis.

Water Safety and Basic Swimming: Drowning is one of the biggest causes of flood-related deaths. Swimming lessons in safe, supervised conditions can be life-saving, especially in river cities.

Class discussions: Stories, roleplays, and drawings help children explore how floods happen and what families can do at home.

This turns knowledge into memory. And memory into action.

Flood Preparedness Can Be Practical, Local, And Simple

• In Assam, Caritas India, a leading NGO ran evening learning sessions for flood-hit children. Along with helping them return to studies, the programme taught them how to raise bedding off the floor, secure schoolbooks, and speak with elders about water safety.
• In Bihar, a government initiative called Surakshit Shanivar introduced disaster safety lessons for middle schoolers. One session a week covering how to respond to floods, fires, earthquakes. Students took those lessons home and began sharing them with families.

These are small efforts, but they're working. In areas where these sessions were held, local teachers reported fewer panicked reactions when floods arrived, and faster coordination among residents.

Preparedness doesn't require fear-based teaching. It just asks for honesty. This is the world we live in. Let's learn how to move through it together.

What's Happening Now, And Why It Matters

In Varanasi, the water has not fully receded. More rainfall is expected in parts of Uttar Pradesh over the coming days, and officials are continuing to monitor the levels of the Ganga. Relief teams have distributed thousands of food packets and moved families to higher ground. Cremation services remain affected.

This won't be the last time a river swells beyond its edge. But this doesn't have to catch us by surprise every time.

Children can become the strongest line of awareness within families, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. But only if we take them seriously - and give them the tools early.

Floods may come with the weather. Preparedness must come from us.

Disclaimer: This article is meant to raise awareness about the importance of emergency preparedness among schoolchildren in the context of recent floods in Varanasi. It does not offer expert advice or official disaster management instructions. For safety protocols, training, and real-time updates, please consult authorised government agencies and disaster response organisations.