Floods batter 10 U.P. districts, 17 more dead

The flood fury in Uttar Pradesh killed 17 more people after swollen rivers took 10 Uttar Pradesh districts under their spate.

The recent deaths due to lightning, drowning and snakebites were recorded in Balrampur, Pilibhit, Shravasti, Kannauj, Prayagraj, Kaushambi and Pratapgarh districts. Ten of the 17 deaths were reported from Prayagraj, Kaushambi and Pratapgarh alone.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath monitored the situation in the flood-hit areas and directed officials to carry out rescue and relief operations on war footing.

On Tuesday, Indian Air Force rescued seven people trapped in the floods in Pilibhit.

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Relief commissioner GS Naveen Kumar said in Pilibhit floods had affected 252 villages across five tehsils. However, the water levels were receding in the area. The state emergency center received information that some individuals were stranded in Binaura village of the district after which seven individuals were airlifted from there. Additionally, 7,365 others stranded in the flood in the district were also evacuated and moved to safe locations, he said.

In Lakhimpur Kheri, 41 villages were affected and 221 people were evacuated from the Nighasan area of the district, Kumar said, adding 82 villages in Shravasti and 16 in Kushinagar were also flooded. As many as 42 people were rescued from the marooned villages in Shahjahanpur district.

AYODHYA

As a result of the rains in the hilly areas of Nepal and Uttarakhand, the Saryu, which flows through the hill state into Uttar Pradesh, was approaching the danger mark at many places. With water level rising three centimeters per hour, a new concrete structure built on its banks in Ayodhya at a cost of ₹3 crore washed away in the strong current.

District magistrate (DM) Nitish Kumar said 10 flood posts were created in the district and the administration had issued an alert in Manjha, the low-lying area of Ayodhya.

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“While there is no flood situation in Ayodhya right now, all preparations are in place to deal with the floods,” he added.

LAKHIMPUR KHERI

The flood situation in Kheri worsened on Tuesday as the water level of the Sharda rose further. Pallia tehsil was left marooned as the road traffic on Nighasan-Pallia road was suspended on Tuesday following floodwaters inundating the highway near Majhgain.

In Nighasan tehsil, 11 people were trapped in their houses after the furious Sharda marooned their village. NDRF teams rescued five persons in Patihan village after they were stuck in the flooded Sharda.

The Sharda fury also badly hit two dozen villages of Phoolbehar block in Lakhimpur tehsils, which are located across the Sharda afflux bund.

In Nighasan tehsil, flood fury caused by Mohana, Suheli, Kaudiyala and Ghaghra rivers continued even on Tuesday with all major roads and passages, particularly in villages bordering Nepal, remained submerged in water.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath was expected to go to the Sharda barrage on Wednesday afternoon to review the flood situation in Kheri.

GORAKHPUR, BASTI, DEORIA

Surging water level of all the important rivers in East Uttar Pradesh created havoc in villages located near the banks of rivers.

In Basti, floodwaters inundated Subeeka village. Additional DM Preet Pal Choudhary visited the village and oversaw rescue operations there. Three motorboats and five boats were pressed into service to evacuate 300 villagers affected by River Kuwano.

In Deoria, people in Mahuwapatan, Kanakpur, Amwa, Sohnariya and other villages were a worried lot as the swollen Gandak and Nayani submerged houses and paddy fields.

An official said the Rapti was increasing at a speed of 5 cm per hour and its level was recorded at just below the danger mark in Deoria. In Balrampur, it was flowing one meter above the danger mark.

Minister reviews floods in Shravasti

Meanwhile, Jal Shakti minister Swatantra Dev Singh reviewed the flood situation in Shravasti, Gonda and Balrampur districts in a meeting held with officers of several departments in Shravasti on Tuesday.

Singh directed them to carry out relief and rescue work in the flood-affected areas and to take effective measures to check the outbreak of infectious diseases. He said a survey of houses and crops damaged due to the flood should be completed on a priority basis.

Half of Dudhwa flooded

Suheli and Mohana rivers have flooded half of the Dudhwa forest area, though no harm to any wild animal was reported yet. Field director (Dudhwa Tiger Reserve) Lalit Verma said, “Almost half of Dudhwa was under floodwater. However, no animal has been reported to be harmed due to the floods.”