More than 620 villages in Uttar Pradesh have been hit by floods following incessant downpour in most parts of the state since Sunday. In eastern UP, rivers like Boodhi Rapti, Ghaghra and Sharda are flowing above the danger level at many places and a bridge near Chowki Didai on the Siddhartanagar-Basti national highway has been washed away by the Jamuar Nala. Basti district with 190 mm rainfall, Sant Kabir Nagar with 170 mm, Gorakhpur with 144.8 mm and Lakhimpur Kheri with 134 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours have been the worst hit. The remaining districts in the state have received 25 to 30 mm rainfall in the past one day and the rivers are in spate in all these areas.
Relief Commissioner Venkateshwarlu said on Monday that the state machinery has been put on high alert in 12 districts of this region since there is a strong possibility of river waters entering new areas in the next day or two.
He said teams of the provincial armed constabulary (PAC), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other wings of the state police have been pressed into service. to evacuate people to safer places.
Meanwhile, torrential rains continue to lash Lucknow and June has been declared the wettest month in the state capital in the past one decade. Telephones lines have snapped, trees have been uprooted and at least three houses in the old city area have caved in. However, no casualty has been reported in Lucknow though four persons died in other districts.