After Bihar, Flood Like Situation in Eastern Uttar Pradesh

Heavy rains over the last few days have triggered a flood-like situation in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The district administrations in Deoria, Gorakhpur, Gonda, Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri and Barabanki have sounded a high alert in the wake of floods in Nepal which have claimed the lives of over 45 people.

Due to heavy rainfall, the water level of river Ganga in Varanasi has risen and people living close to the banks have migrated to safer places. The local administration is helping the people to shift due to the flood-like situation. Arrangements have also been made to shift people to safer place from areas close to the Nepal border.

Meanwhile, rivers Ghagra and Saryu are flowing considerably over the normal level, while Rapti has breached the danger-mark, severing connectivity in various parts of Gonda district, an official said on Tuesday. 

Also Read: Koshi Flood Victims Threaten to Launch Civil Disobedience for Tax Abolition

The Rapti, which falls in the foothills of Nepal, was flowing above the danger mark in Gorakhpur that has led to more than 80 villages being marooned, the official told IANS. The Deoria district administration has asked the people living near the river to resort to higher and safer grounds due to the inundation of the embankment.

Rivers Ghagra and Saryu, which are also in spate in Bahraich district, are posing a threat to at least 50 villages in the Shivpur block, the official informed the district administration. “Locals have been advised to move all their cattle or any temporary settlements to safer places. We are monitoring the weather closely. The rain in the coming days will have an impact on the weather conditions,” said a senior district official. 

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, these regions have received around 40% of the total monsoon rainfall in the past 10 days. “Heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted for the next five days in north-east and northern Bihar,” the IMD said in a statement.

In neighboring Bihar, nearly two million people have been affected by the floods. The floods have claimed the lives of more than a dozen people, washed away thousands of thatched huts, severely damaged houses, roads, bridges and standing crops worth crores. 

Shiv Kumar, a farmer living close to the Rapti river told NewsClick, “Not only farmers, but even commuters residing in the region are facing issues due to flooded streets and roads. We are not able to go out of our houses most of the time. There is a flood like situation and if the situation remains the same, we will be forced to migrate to another place."

Several parts of Uttar Pradesh are deluged in water, making it more difficult for school students and the general public to move out of their houses.