Massive flooding ravages 601 villages in UP, leaving 200,000 people stranded: Government report

In Uttar Pradesh, a staggering 601 villages across 23 districts have been hit by devastating floods, affecting around 200,000 people. This alarming situation has prompted a swift response from the government, with officials taking action to address the crisis.

The Relief Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh, GS Naveen Kumar, has reassured the public that all embankments in the state are secure. Furthermore, district magistrates in flood-affected areas have been given a crucial task: conducting surveys to assess the extent of damage caused by the floods. This includes evaluating the inundation of agricultural land and the destruction of crops due to the flooding. The findings of these surveys will be submitted to the state government to guide relief efforts effectively.

Flood impact and Government response

The districts affected by the floods include Amroha (45 villages), Azamgarh (8), Ballia (1), Barabanki (4), Basti (6), Bijnore (30), Budaun (27), Farrukhabad (115), Fatehpur (4), Gonda (23), Gorakhpur (4), Hardoi (55), Kannauj (9), Kanpur (3), Kasganj (57), Lakhimpur Kheri (26), Kushinagar (1), Mau (3), Meerut (40), Muzaffarnagar (40), Shahjhanpur (14), Sitapur (6), and Unnao (80 villages). To address this crisis, the state government has taken several steps:

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- Establishment of 1,101 flood shelters and 1,504 flood outposts in the affected districts to provide safe refuge for those displaced by the floods.
  
- Deployment of 2,135 medical teams to offer healthcare services in the flood-hit areas.
  
- Utilization of 2,838 boats for rescue operations to reach people stranded by the floods.
  
- Mobilization of 14 rescue teams, including NDRF, SDRF, and PAC, to assist in rescue and relief efforts in the affected districts.

Rahat Chaupal and river danger levels

To provide immediate relief and assistance, the state revenue department organized 'rahat chaupals' at 5,014 locations in flood-prone districts. These chaupals acted as hubs for coordinating relief efforts and ensuring that affected communities received the support they needed.

The situation has been further complicated by rivers surpassing danger levels. River Ramganga in Shahjahanpur and Ghaghra in Ballia were reported to be flowing above their respective danger levels, exacerbating the flood crisis.

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Rainfall statistics and monsoon season

The relief commissioner shared important rainfall statistics, highlighting that Uttar Pradesh had received an average of 1.4 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, which was only 29% of the normal rainfall of 4.8 mm. Since June 1, the state had received an average of 495.9 mm of rainfall, representing 84% of the normal rainfall of 588.1 mm for the same period. Notably, over the past day, no district received 30 mm or more of rainfall.

As the monsoon season progressed, 12 districts recorded excessive rainfall, 24 received normal rainfall, 22 experienced deficient rainfall, and 11 faced extremely deficient rainfall. Moreover, six districts received less than 40% of the expected rainfall since the beginning of the monsoon season.

In light of these challenges, the state government continues to work diligently to mitigate the impact of the floods and provide support to the affected communities.