UP floods death toll hits 89, 1.5 lakh people affected

Lucknow: Flood situation remained grave in Uttar Pradesh where the toll rose to 89 on Thursday with reports of seven more deaths in the state whose eastern parts were worst hit. [caption id=“attachment_1675365” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Six more people were killed due to floods in UP. Reuters[/caption] Six persons were killed in flood affected areas in Balrampur district, while a 26-year-old youth drowned in Gonda district in the past 24 hours, official sources said. The flood affected districts included Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Barabanki, Lakhimpur Khiri, Sitapur, Faizabad, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Azamgarh, Muzaffarnagar and Siddharth Nagar. According to report from Balrampur several mud houses collapsed in Jonaar, Mirzapur, Nandnagar, Hridaynagar, Bhatehia and Belha village. Around 1.5 lakh people in 150 villages are affected in the district where relief and rescue work is being carried out. While Balrampur-Utraula route remain closed, traffic on Balrampur-Tulsipur route was restored as the water level receded. A report from Azamgarh said that breaking a 16-year-old record, the Ghaghra was flowing 1.7 metre above the danger mark. The river swelled after water was released from Girja and Sharda barrage in Bahraich district, it said. Additional District Magistrate (Administration) Ashutosh Trivedi said 335 boats were deployed and directives issued to evacuate people from 100 villages from the catchment area. According to a report from Barabanki, around 89,000 people in 125 villages of Ramnagar, Sirauli Gauspur and Ramsnehighat tehsils were affected. 16 relief centers and eight shelter homes have been set up in the area, the report added. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday directed Health Minister Ahmad Hasan to personally monitor and coordinate with flood relief efforts and to prevent outbreak of any epidemic in affected areas. “The CM has asked Health Minister Ahmad Hasan to personally coordinate with the flood efforts and report to him,” an official spokesman said in Lucknow. He has directed health department to take adequate steps on war footing to prevent any epidemic outbreak in flood affected areas. The state government has sanctioned Rs 55.41 crore for families affected by floods. PTI