Relief ops continue in UP, CM sanctions Rs 50 lakh

River Sharda and Ganga continue to flow near the danger mark

Flood relief operations in the Uttar Pradesh continued in full swing with the state government releasing Rs 50 lakh for the 13 affected districts even as the river Sharda and Ganga continued to flow near the danger mark.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Prasad Yadav, who took stock of the situation of the 13 affected districts -- Saharanpur, Jhansi, Bijnore, Muzaffarnagar, Amroha, Bahraich, Lakhimpur, Meerut, Barabnki, Pilibhit, Sitapur, Balrampur and Gonda-- sanctioned Rs 50 lakh for each district for flood relief operation, official sources said.

The Chief Minister also directed the officials to make all preparations in advance to deal with any eventuality and warned against any laxity.

With almost no rainfall since yesterday, water level in the rivers was static but Sharda at Palia Kalan, Ghaghra at Elgin Bridge and Ayodhya were still flowing above the danger mark though they have registered a declining trend except in Ayodhya, Central Water Commission said.

The river Sharda which is flowing very near the red mark at Turtipar and Rapti at Balrampur was rising and the river Ganga which was rising all along its route from Fatehgarh to Allahabad is almost touching the danger mark at Fatehgarh, sources said.

Meanwhile, the main link between UP and Haryana remained cut off for the fourth day today due to closure of the bridge over the river Yamuna at Kairana in Shamli district.

The bridge was closed for traffic as the river Yamuna had crossed the danger mark four days ago. The traffic on the Khatima- Panipat highway has not yet been restored.

Official sources said that PAC and civil police has evacuated affected people in Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Bijnore and Kheri districts.

Three special trains have been started by the Northern Railway from Haridwar to Delhi, Chandigharh and Lucknow for flood-affected people, M M Tyagi, spokesman of the NR said.