Over 700 villages in 22 UP districts affected by flood as rivers flow in spate

More than 700 villages in 22 districts of Uttar Pradesh have been inundated as rivers in the state flowed in spate due to incessant rains in the mountains and plains.

Relentless rains pounded large parts of northern India on Tuesday, causing havoc in the Himalayan region that witnessed landslides, inundation of low-lying areas, and the washing away of several roads and bridges.

The downpours led rivers originating from the Himalayas and rivulets to flow in spate. Dams and barrages had to release copious amounts of water, compounding the flood situation in the downstream areas.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed the officials to speed up the relief work, shift people to safety and make special arrangements for cattle.

Relief Commissioner Bhanu Chandra Goswami said that at present, 43 tehsils and 768 villages of 22 districts have been inundated, affecting 2.52 lakh people.

People in the flood-hit areas have been provided relief assistance, while 33,370 cattle have been shifted to safety, he said, adding relief material is being delivered to these affected areas through 550 boats.

A total of 278 flood shelters have been set up, housing 3,089 people. All of them are being medically checked by 586 teams. Along with this, 1,022 flood posts have been established to monitor the situation.

The 22 districts affected by floods include Varanasi, Prayagraj, Auraiya, Bahraich, Banda, Mirzapur, Kanpur Dehat, Chandauli, Fatehpur, Kanpur Nagar, Barabanki, Badaun, Farrukhabad, Gonda, Hardoi, Kasganj, Lakhimpur Kheri, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Shahjahanpur and Unnao. PTI