floods
As many as 706 villages across 17 districts of Uttar Pradesh have been affected by floods so far, while many major rivers continue to be in spate, officials said on Friday.

Sharda river at Palia Kalan (Lakhimpur Kheri), Rapti river at Bird Ghat (Gorakhpur) and Saryu-Ghagra at Elgin Bridge (Barabanki), Ayodhya and Turtipar (Ballia) are flowing above the danger level, they said.

A total of 706 villages in 17 districts have been hit by the floods. Of these, 467 villages are marooned, Relief Commissioner Sanjay Goyal said in a statement.

Fifteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), seven of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel have been deployed in the affected districts, he said.

Besides, 749 boats have been deployed and 715 flood chowkis have been set up, he added.



A total of 236 flood shelters have been set up. Presently, 4,087 people are staying in 44 shelters in four districts, according to the statement.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered that social distancing be maintained in the shelters as per the COVID-19 protocol. He has also directed that if anyone complains of symptoms like fever, headache or cough, that person should be segregated and sent for testing, the statement said.

Senior state ministers visited the flood-hit districts on Friday and reviewed the ongoing relief works on the directions of the chief minister, it said.

Backward Class Welfare Minister Anil Rajbhar and Water Resources Minister Baldev Aulakh visited Gonda, Sant Kabir Nagar, Mau, Deoria and Gorakhpur districts, it said.

The ministers also held meetings with district magistrates and other senior officers.

Source: PTI