Fifty-six people have been killed in thunderstorms and rain-related incidents across Uttar Pradesh since Friday, September 25, officials said, after an intense three-day wet spell dumped rainfall far above normal levels and left at least eight districts facing a flood-like situation.
The state received 45.1 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending Sunday, September 27, against a normal of just 1.8 mm, according to official data. AFP reported that between Friday and Sunday, the state recorded 66.5 mm of rain, compared with a seasonal average of 7.6 mm for the period — rainfall the Relief Commissioner's office described as "exceptionally heavy."
The highest number of deaths during the 60-hour period was reported from Sitapur, followed by Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Balrampur, Ayodhya and Gorakhpur, officials said. The office of the Relief Commissioner said 1,021 houses were damaged, while 46 people were injured in rain and storm-related incidents. People from flood-affected areas have been shifted to relief centres and shelter homes.
Officials said the downpour caused extensive damage to standing crops, raising concerns about sowing delays in the coming season. Strong winds uprooted trees and electric poles, and roads and villages were inundated in waterlogged areas, where rescue teams were conducting operations to evacuate stranded residents to safer locations.
Rivers on the rise
The water levels of the Ghagra and Rapti rivers are rising at several monitoring stations, posing a flood threat to low-lying areas, according to a state government statement. The Central Water Commission's Daily Water Level Bulletin showed the Ghagra at Elginbridge in Barabanki flowing at 106.14 metres at 8 a.m. on Sunday — above its danger level of 106.07 metres — with the level likely to rise further by Sunday night. In Ayodhya, the river stood at 92.39 metres against a warning level of 91.73 metres and was forecast to climb to 92.85 metres.
The state government has directed officials to provide immediate relief and compensation to affected families. "In view of the continuous heavy rainfall and the flood situation arising from it in Uttar Pradesh, officials have been directed to provide immediate relief and assistance to affected people," an official statement said. The Chief Minister instructed officials to carry out relief operations in rain- and flood-affected areas with full seriousness so that no affected family faces hardship during this difficult situation. Field officers have also been told to assess crop damage and provide compensation to affected farmers at the earliest.
Neighbouring Nepal has been hit by the same weather system. Fresh floods and landslides there have killed 12 people since Thursday and left seven more missing, Shanti Mahat, spokesperson at Nepal's disaster authority, told AFP.
Sources: The Hindu | Malay Mail (AFP)
The state received 45.1 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending Sunday, September 27, against a normal of just 1.8 mm, according to official data. AFP reported that between Friday and Sunday, the state recorded 66.5 mm of rain, compared with a seasonal average of 7.6 mm for the period — rainfall the Relief Commissioner's office described as "exceptionally heavy."
The highest number of deaths during the 60-hour period was reported from Sitapur, followed by Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Balrampur, Ayodhya and Gorakhpur, officials said. The office of the Relief Commissioner said 1,021 houses were damaged, while 46 people were injured in rain and storm-related incidents. People from flood-affected areas have been shifted to relief centres and shelter homes.
Officials said the downpour caused extensive damage to standing crops, raising concerns about sowing delays in the coming season. Strong winds uprooted trees and electric poles, and roads and villages were inundated in waterlogged areas, where rescue teams were conducting operations to evacuate stranded residents to safer locations.
Rivers on the rise
The water levels of the Ghagra and Rapti rivers are rising at several monitoring stations, posing a flood threat to low-lying areas, according to a state government statement. The Central Water Commission's Daily Water Level Bulletin showed the Ghagra at Elginbridge in Barabanki flowing at 106.14 metres at 8 a.m. on Sunday — above its danger level of 106.07 metres — with the level likely to rise further by Sunday night. In Ayodhya, the river stood at 92.39 metres against a warning level of 91.73 metres and was forecast to climb to 92.85 metres.
The state government has directed officials to provide immediate relief and compensation to affected families. "In view of the continuous heavy rainfall and the flood situation arising from it in Uttar Pradesh, officials have been directed to provide immediate relief and assistance to affected people," an official statement said. The Chief Minister instructed officials to carry out relief operations in rain- and flood-affected areas with full seriousness so that no affected family faces hardship during this difficult situation. Field officers have also been told to assess crop damage and provide compensation to affected farmers at the earliest.
Neighbouring Nepal has been hit by the same weather system. Fresh floods and landslides there have killed 12 people since Thursday and left seven more missing, Shanti Mahat, spokesperson at Nepal's disaster authority, told AFP.
Sources: The Hindu | Malay Mail (AFP)
