Allahabad, Feb 17 (IANS): Heavy rains that lashed the city Saturday created a crisis at the Kumbh mela premises, sending pilgrims, seers and journalists scurrying for cover as tents collapsed under the deluge.

With heavy rains since Friday night, the entire mela area was turned into a mess with water collecting at several places and destroying tentage everywhere.

Adding to the problems was the caving in of temporary roads on the banks of the river Ganga as the sand below sank. Owing to the inundation at some places, many Kalpawasis, who had come with a vow to give up worldly life for a month and stay at Kumbh, left the premises.

Many tents came down at sectors 4, 5, 9 and the seers staying there had to face many problems, admitted a mela official informing that at some places, electricity poles had come down.

The city recorded 44.2 mm rainfall since friday night. The rains not only created trouble for the tents and roads but also destroyed a large portion of the ration stocks on the premises.

Water also entered the media centre, leading to panic as electronic equipment, cameras, computers, printers etc were stocked there.

On directives of senior officials from Lucknow, the media centre was shifted to the cultural pandaal nearby so that the equipment did not get damaged in the rains. The cottages meant for journalists also were drenched and water logging was reported in this areas as well, officials told IANS.