Levels of raging rivers stabilise in UP but situation still grim

The flood situation in many parts of Uttar Pradesh continues to be grim, but rain stopping at many places has brought hope for authorities and people, while the raging Ganga and Yamuna have stopped their advance into Varanasi and Allahabad in the past 24 hours, officials said.

Allahabad District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar said that the flood situation in Allahabad would improve considerably if there were no further rains and that no water was released from any dam. He also said that water levels have stabilised but that both rivers were still flowing above the danger mark.

As many as 53 relief camps have been set up for the flood-affected in which more than 30,000 people have taken refuge. More than 1,500 kgs of relief material including food, medicine and other essentials have been dropped by IAF choppers in flood-affected regions of Allahabad city, an official told IANS.

In Banda however the situation is precarious as continuous rains in the past four days has razed more than a thousand mud huts in Raghuvanshi Dera, Shivpal Dera, Bhuragadh, Chakchatgan and Darda. Residents have been settled at safer places. More than 11,00 lunch packets have been dropped in the area but remain insufficient for the displaced population of more 25,000.

Flood situation continued to be cause of worry in Varanasi, which is also the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prime minister's office (PMO) officials are coordinating with the local district administration in rolling out rescue and relief measures, while the National Disaster Response Force teams are working to rescue people from flood-hit areas.

All the major ghats are submerged in flood waters and cremations in major places like the Manikarnika Ghat have been shifted to a terrace and in the lanes, which at many places are knee-deep under water.

--IANS

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