UP: Waterlogging in Ballia jail leads to shifting of prisoners to jails in other districts

VARANASI: Over 850 prisoners of the Ballia district jail were being shifted to the jails of neighbouring district after massive waterlogging inside all the barracks following heavy downpour continuing for past three days.
Talking to TOI on Sunday, Ballia district magistrate Bhavani Singh Khangaraut said, “Waterlogging from five inches to one ft has been reported from all the barracks of the district jail. In view of the ground realities of the jail, the matter was reported to state government and prison department.We have received approval of authorities concerned to shift 450 prisoners to Azamgarh jail. Approval for shifting more prisoners to Mau and Ambedkarnagar jails is awaited.”

After getting the approval of prison department the Ballia authorities were busy in arranging adequate force to start shifting the prisoners from the waterlogged jail, which is heavily overcrowded against its actual capacity of lodging 350 prisoners only. Khangaraut said that whether the shifting of prisoners will start from tonight or from Monday morning, will depend on the availability of police force.
The officials said that waterlogging inside the Ballia jail is not a new problem as it is very old and it was constructed in low lying areas. With the time the height of roads increased up to several feet, large number of residential and other construction also mushroomed in the area through which rain water drained naturally. Now, maximum water of rainy season is drained towards the jail due to which waterlogging inside it has become an annual feature, said the officials.