VARANASI, Sept. 13 -- Sacks of sand, sawdust, stones, plywood and plastic waste were found stuffed inside main sewer lines in around half a dozen wards, including Shivala, Saraynandan and Nagwa, during cleaning operations, the Varanasi Nagar Nigam said.

Varanasi mayor Ashok Tiwari said around 12 sacks of sand were removed from sewer lines during cleaning operations in the Shivala area on Friday night. He said the discovery of sand-filled sacks inside the sewer line pointed to a possible conspiracy and warranted a thorough investigation.

"Prima facie, this appears to be part of a major conspiracy. The blockage in the main sewer line caused sewage to overflow into connecting lanes, disrupting daily life and leading to waterlogging," he sa...