Uttar Pradesh floods claim three lives as nearly 16,800 people evacuated

Nearly 16,800 people have been evacuated as flooding continues across parts of Uttar Pradesh, where three people have died in rain-related incidents, officials said.

Of the 16,784 people moved to safety so far, 3,042 were rescued on Wednesday. While 35 districts have been affected during the current spell of flooding, 23 remain impacted.

The fatalities include 18-month-old Priyansh in Pratapgarh and Shera, 32, and Suresh, 55, in Gajraula in Amroha district.

The state government has deployed 1,499 boats and motorboats for rescue and relief operations, while 1,067 medical teams are working in affected areas.

The districts currently affected are Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Ballia, Barabanki, Badaun, Chandauli, Farrukhabad, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Hardoi, Kasganj, Lakhimpur Kheri, Mirzapur, Moradabad, Pilibhit, Prayagraj, Raebareli, Sant Kabir Nagar, Shahjahanpur, Sitapur, Sonbhadra, Unnao and Varanasi.

Authorities have established 1,311 flood shelters across the state, of which 201 are operational. Assistance has been provided in 442 cases involving damaged houses, while 36,287 livestock have been affected.

In Chitrakoot, about 150 people were rescued from Chaura village along the Mandakini River using motorboats operated by the 42nd Battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary. Food, relief supplies and medical assistance were provided to those evacuated.

Rising water levels in the Ganga and Saryu rivers have affected around 20,500 people in Ballia. Authorities have deployed 83 boats and distributed 6,500 ration kits, 33,843 medicine kits and 83,092 packets of cooked food.

As many as 16,629 livestock have been vaccinated and 965 quintals of fodder supplied. National Disaster Response Force and PAC teams have been deployed alongside personnel stationed at flood posts.

Relief shelters and community kitchens have also been opened at Gopalnagar Tadi and Bhojpurwa.

In Pilibhit, the Sharda, Deoha and Khakra rivers continued to rise. More than two lakh cusecs of water was discharged from Banbasa into the Sharda, while over 30,000 cusecs was released from Nanak Sagar into the Deoha.

Schools were closed for Classes 1 to 8, while the submergence of the Khakra bridge cut off approximately 18 villages. Residents of low-lying areas were advised to relocate to safer places.

The main electricity supply at Pilibhit’s 200-bed medical college remained disrupted for more than 34 hours after rainwater entered an underground cable box. The facility was operating with generators.

In Lakhimpur Kheri, district magistrate Anjani Kumar Singh inspected the Girija barrage afflux bund and areas experiencing erosion along the Mohana river. Work was continuing round the clock, while nearly a dozen houses in a submerged area were being relocated.

The Sharda at Palia was flowing 35 centimetres above its danger level of 154.59 metres but remained steady. Farmland and approach roads to villages were inundated, although officials said no village was completely submerged.

Relief distribution has been expanded across affected regions, with 68,953 foodgrain packets and more than 3.36 lakh lunch packets supplied. Authorities have also distributed over 5.02 lakh chlorine tablets and more than 1.77 lakh oral rehydration solution packets to reduce the risk of water-borne diseases.

The administration has urged people living in vulnerable areas to remain vigilant and follow instructions issued by local authorities.

A yellow alert remains in force in Ghaziabad until 4 September, with residents advised exercising caution during heavy rainfall and avoid waterlogged areas.

With PTI inputs