UP floods: 18 lakh people in over 900 villages affected

Lucknow: The flood situation worsened in Uttar Pradesh, especially in the eastern and central regions after increase in the water levels of several rivers following incessant rains impacting around 18 lakh people in more than 900 villages.

The situation was grim in the districts on the Nepal borders and large tracts of land was inundated as flood waters entered villages forcing thousands of people to move to safer places, according to the official reports.

Reports said that movement of vehicles was stopped on the National Highway connecting Lucknow and Delhi after waters from the swollen Garra river overflowed the bridge in Shahjahanpur district on Thursday evening. Flood waters have also entered several localities in Shahjahanpur town. The district administration has ordered closure of schools till Saturday.

Movement of vehicles was also stopped on some roads in Pilibhit district as flood waters were overflowing the roads, reports said. Movement of trains on the Lakhimpur Kheri-Mailani section was also affected after railway tracks were submerged under water. Waters from the swollen Garra river also inundated scores of villages in Hardoi district, reports said. 

According to the reports, huge tracts of agricultural land were inundated and the farmers had suffered huge losses in Lakhimpur Kheri district.

Reports said that Saryu river was flowing above the danger mark in Ballia and Mau district, while its water level had been rising in Gorakhpur. Similarly the water level of Rapti and Ami rivers were also rising threatening the low lying areas in Gorakhpur.

Official sources said that as many as 18 districts, including Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Kushinagar, Shravasti, Balrampur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Barabanki, Sitapur, Gonda Siddharth Nagar, Moradabad, Bareilly and Basti,were affected by floods.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday conducted an aerial survey of the flood affected districts and directed the officials to provide all possible assistance to the affected people.

The officials said that more than 750 boats had been pressed into service in the flood affected region. Medical teams had been deployed in the affected districts, they added.