At least three people have died due to floods in the last 24 hours in Uttar Pradesh, taking the toll to four even as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday conducted an aerial survey of the flood affected areas.
Adityanath said water released from dams in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh caused flooding in parts of the state. Around 2.4 lakh people in over 1,000 villages in 22 districts of the state are in the grip of floods and thousands of hectares of standing crops have been submerged in floodwater, officials said.
After making an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of Ghazipur district, the chief minister distributed relief material to the people. Later, speaking to reporters, he said, "The rainfall in Uttar Pradesh has been less than average this time, but the problem of flooding has been caused due to excess water released from dams in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh."
Adityanath said there have been heavy rains in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Due to the release of 26 lakh cusecs of water from Rajasthan and more than four lakh cusecs from Madhya Pradesh, the water level in Chambal and Betwa rivers along with other tributaries in Uttar Pradesh increased significantly leading to rise in water level in Ganga and Yamuna rivers, he said.
The CM said that the government stands with the affected people in the time of this calamity. Along with government officials, ministers and BJP workers have also been asked to join hands in helping people in the marooned areas.
He said that an adequate number of boats have been arranged in the flood affected areas for the evacuation of people and distribution of relief material. Flood units of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), SDRF, and PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) have been deployed for relief and rescue operations, he said.
Relief kits, containing 15 days of ration and other essentials, are being provided to affected families. Efforts are also being made to provide help to people in more than 100 villages which have been cut off from district headquarters and other places due to flooding, officials said.
Adityanath also made a trip to Varanasi to take stock of the flood situation in the district. He moved around the inundated areas in a water boat and later distributed relief material to the affected people. According to officials, three people, including a two-year-old girl, have died in the floodwater in Ballia district in the last 24 hours.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Ashok Mishra said that a woman named Hira Moti (35) died on Tuesday evening due to drowning in flood near a primary school in Repura village of Haldi police station area.
The body of one Upendra Chaudhary (34), a resident of Uchkwa Dera village, was recovered on Wednesday. Mishra said that a two-year-old girl named Alshifa was playing in the basement of her house in Sagarpali village under Phephna police station area on Tuesday when she died due to drowning in flood waters.
In Ballia district, a total of 31 villages are affected by floods due to rise in the water level of river Ganga. As many as 74 government primary schools in the district have been closed due to floods, the officials said.
In Prayagraj, people affected by floods for the last one week are now worried about an outbreak of diseases. However, the recent reduction in water level of Ganga and Yamuna rivers in the district have provided some relief.
Many people are living in temporary shelters after floodwater entered their houses located in the low-lying areas of Salori, Govindpur, Chilla village, Nevada, Ashoknagar and Rajapur. Ramchandra Kushwaha, a resident of Salori, said that due to floodwater entering his house, all the belongings have got damaged and his children are unable to go to school.
Prayagraj District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Khatri has directed the officials of the medical and revenue departments to take action in coordination with the municipal corporation for flood relief. According to the report received from Varanasi, the water level of the Ganga is receding. However, the areas along the banks of Ganga and Varuna rivers are still submerged. People from flood-affected areas have been taken to relief camps, officials said.
In Mirzapur, the Ganga water level is gradually decreasing. However, 270 villages in the district are still affected by the floods.
The flood situation in Jalaun is improving but it will take time for life to come back on track. Due to waterlogging, 40 primary schools of the district are closed. District Magistrate Chandni Singh has directed the revenue personnel to conduct a survey of the 'kutcha' houses that have fallen due to the floods. Such families will be allotted houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, officials said.
Meanwhile, some places in the state received rain during the last 24 hours, said the MeT department. During this period, five cm rains were reported in Raniganj (Pratapgarh), four cm each in Musafirkhana (Amethi) and Fatehpur, and three cm each in Kunda (Pratapgarh), Lucknow and Bindki (Fatehpur).
As per the MeT department, more rains are expected in eastern UP districts in the next 24 hours.
(With PTI Inputs)
