Haridwar, Sept. 4 -- A joint police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team has started a search operation to trace a devotee who drowned in the Ganga river during Ganesh idol immersion in Haridwar, officials said on Wednesday. Police officials said the incident occurred late Tuesday night at Rajghat in the Kankhal area, when Nikhil Gupta (38), a resident of Sandesh Nagar area, slipped into the river during the immersion procession. Despite attempts by fellow devotees to rescue him, he was swept away by the strong current. "The search operation had to be halted due to darkness and the strong monsoon flow in the Ganga on Tuesday night. It was resumed on Wednesday morning," said Chandra Mohan Singh, station house officer, Kankhal police station....