PRAYAGRAJ, July 15 -- Every year, the district administration spends lakhs on setting up flood relief camps mostly in schools and college buildings. Thousands of families residing in low lying areas of the city, including Chhota Baghada, Beli Kachar, Daraganj, Newada, Rajapur Kachhaar, Salori, Kareli, etc are made to shift to these shelter homes and stay for nearly one to two weeks till the flood water recedes. This tiresome exercise unfolds every year owing to unplanned construction in low lying areas of the city despite clear orders of the Allahabad high court of 2006 in Ganga Pollution case wherein the court has imposed a clear ban on any new construction within 500 metres distance from Highest Flood Level (HFL). However, most of the houses in these prohibited zones have come up after the high court order, largely due to lax approach of authorities entrusted with the responsibility to check such constructions. According to Corporator of Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) Kamlesh Singh, houses were not constructed in a day in these low lying areas. "Different departments have their share in this misery. The Revenue department gets revenue by selling stamp papers on which registry of land is carried out in prohibited zones while Power department and Nagar Nigam openly provide electricity, drinking water and sewer connections within the prohibited area of 500 metres distance from HFL," he alleged. Commenting on the issue, vice chairman of Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA), Amit Pal Sharma said effective measures have been chalked out in the new building bylaws which mentions stringent checks on any construction within prohibited 500 metre distance from HFL. "Soon the new bylaws would be implemented in mission mode in close coordination with district administration and other government departments concerned to check such illegal constructions," he added. It may be mentioned the district has witnessed six major floods in the past seven decades including that in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1978, 1983 and 2013 wherein significant loss of lives and property was reported. The most fatal of all major floods was of 1978, wherein an all time high water level of Ganga was recorded at 88.39 metres while that of Yamuna was registered at 87.99 metres against the danger mark for both the rivers pegged at 84.73 metres. As per Flood Management Report published by district administration, in the 2013 floods a significant 7,58,446 people were affected in 233 villages in rural areas besides 59 mohallas in urban area of seven tehsils including Sadar, Soraon, Phulpur, Handia, Karchana, Meja and Bara. A total of 34 shelter homes were established in the city wherein affected residents stayed for 39 days. A significant Rs 30.76 lakh was spent on flood relief measures in over a month long flood....