Uttar Pradesh: 18 dead in 24 hrs; central panel sounds flood alert

“There is likelihood of heavy to very heavy rain in Uttarakhand on 4th and 5th September, heavy rain in Eastern UP on 5th September and heavy to very heavy rain in Uttarakhand and Western UP on 5th September,” a bulletin from the CWC stated.

The CWC warned that the river Ganga at Fathegarh in Farukkabad district, Kachhla Bridge in Budaun district and Ankinghat in Kanpur district was in “severe flood situation with slow rising or steady trend”.

“They are likely to continue in severe flood situation with almost steady trend with slight rising some times during the day,” the CWC said. It also said that there river Ghaghra at Elgin Bridge in Barabanki district, Ayodhya in Faizabad district, and Turtipar in Ballia district of UP are in severe flood situation with slight falling trend.

18 dead in 24 hours

At least 18 people lost their lives and 15 were injured in rain-related incidents across Uttar Pradesh over the last 24 hours, the relief commissioner’s office confirmed Tuesday. As many as 226 houses and hutments were also destroyed.

According to data provided by the office, the highest number of deaths (three each) were reported in Gonda and Kushinagar, followed by two each in Mirzapur and Bijnor. A total of 20 families in Naupurwa village and 15 in Kudariya village of Harriya tehsil of Basti were taken to a safe place.

More than 32,000 people of 17 different villages were affected by the rising water levels of the Ganga in Unnao and were taken to a safer place. For now, more than 12,000 people are taking shelter in 32 camps in the district.

Eleven teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in nine districts to deal with any emergency caused by the heavy rain and floods in ten rivers that are now above the danger level. PAC flood battalions of 17 different companies have also been deployed in 26 districts for relief work.