Lucknow: In Uttar Pradesh, about 12 of its mighty rivers are rising while some have already touched danger level. Alert has been sounded in 40 flood-prone districts of the state and rivers are being monitored every minute.
Till Monday evening, as per report received by the office of the state relief commissioner from districts, Sharda river has crossed the danger-mark in Palia, Lakhimpur-Kheri. The river is flowing least 72cm above the mark.
At Shardanagar in Lakhimpur-Kheri, another spot where the river-level is being monitored, it is 89cm below the mark but could be inching closer.
Ghaghra has risen menacingly and is only 20cm below the danger mark in Barabanki and 35cm below the danger mark in Ayodhya. At Elgin railway bridge in Barabanki, , however, the river has touched the red-mark. At Gonda, Basti, Ballia, Bahraich and Faizabad, the river is flowing below the mark but alert has been issued.
The latest report on the rising rivers of UP shows the Ganga flowing 9.5metres below the threat-mark in Varanasi. The river, if it rises, would first affect Bulandshahr out of all the 13 districts that it flows by. In Bulandshahr, Ganga is only 1.26metre below the danger mark.
State government has issued flood alert in 40 districts of the state. Till date, 99 villages of Mirzapur and seven villages in Barabanki and Gonda have been affected.
In Barabanki and Gonda, the rising river water has deluged villages, while in Mirzapur, villages are flooded because of excessive rains on July 5 and July 6. Five persons died in Mirzapur and about 330 houses were damaged. One relief camp has been set up in Gonda so far.
Irrigation and water resources minister Dharmpal Singh said “We would release daily flood bulletin from Tuesday”. The status of all rivers would be available at police control rooms and office of district magistrates for prompt and timely action. The live status of the rivers would be available 2pm onwards from Tuesday.
The government has already instructed setting up flood chowkis in the flood-prone districts besides keeping the police and PAC on alert. “I have also asked for flood alerts to be made public too,” he said.
