Rising sea level, which is relentlessly chipping away at the coastline in front of the Kapil Muni Ashram in Bengal’s Sagar island, has rendered three of the six holy bathing areas useless ahead of the Gangasagar mela, which is expected to draw around 10 million devotees.

Triggered by climate change, the swollen sea has gobbled up the beachfront, which is now just 450 metres from the temple.

“Due to climatic impacts aggravating the rise in sea level, the sea has come within 450 metres of the temple and has completely devastated the beaches. This year, beach areas 2, 3 and 4 are not usable for holy baths. Only 1, 5 and 6 are to be used. Even last year, we could use beach area 4,” Sunderbans minister and local MLA Bankim Hazra told The Telegraph.

“The situation has come to such a pass that even the traditional Ganga Aarti area has vanished and we are trying to set up a new area for the ritual. I do not know how long the temple will survive in its current place if some urgent action is not taken,” Hazra added.

He said the state government spends over ₹200 crore to organise the Gangasagar mela and is trying its best to protect the beach, but the Centre is “doing nothing” despite promises made by home minister Amit Shah before the elections.

Hazra said IIT Chennai’s proposal for sea bank protection could not be taken forward in the absence of support from the Centre.

Local officials said pushing the holy bathing areas to two extremes, which are more than 1km apart, would create difficulties for both the pilgrims as well as the administration.

“Last year, we had about 12 million pilgrims. This year, the number is expected to be the same or more. After the holy bath, the pilgrims will have to walk along the beach to reach the temple to offer puja. They will be inconvenienced,” a senior official said.

The administration is currently engaged in earth-filling repairs near the temple.

“It’s a fact that the sea is behaving erratically in Sagar. I have visited the area and will visit again before the mela. We are trying our best to find a sustainable solution,” irrigation minister Manas Bhuiya said on Saturday.

The World Meteorological Organisation had in April published a report that showed the sea level in the Bay of Bengal has risen nearly 30 per cent higher than the global average over the past three decades.