Heavy rain, rising rivers disrupt life across Uttar Pradesh; two dead, two girls missing

Heavy rain and rising rivers disrupted life across Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday leaving two dead in Sitapur and two minor girls missing in Ghazipur while floods affected around 20000 people in Ballia and the Mandakini rose four metres above the danger mark in ChitrakootIn Varanasi the Ganga crossed the warning level inundating lanes and forcing boats to operate in several areas Cremations at the Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats were shifted to rooftops and bylanesIn Sitapur 32yearold Nekram and his fiveyearold niece Lakshmi were killed when a mud wall collapsed in Gaura village under the Kamlapur police station on Tuesday evening An eightyearold boy Mohit was injured and is undergoing treatment police saidInspectorincharge Atul Chaudhary said continuous rain had weakened the structure and the wall suddenly collapsed while the victims were insideIn Ghazipur 16yearold Mahi Singh and 14yearold Mahima Singh of Basantpatti village were swept away while bathing in the Ganga at Chochakpur Ghat in the Karanda area Police and administrative teams assisted by boatmen were searching for them but had not found them by the time this report was filedIn Ballia Ganga waters have entered several residential areas affecting around 20000 people according to the district administration Fortyseven boats have been deployed for relief and movementDistrict Magistrate Mangla Prasad Singh said the Ganga was 160 metres above the danger mark and was expected to rise further slightly by Tuesday night and Wednesday morningAll our teams are on alert in the 39 villages along the Ganga in Ballia Sadar and 17 in Bairia Singh told reporters The Ghaghra Saryu was flowing at the danger mark and authorities were also monitoring erosionOfficials said the administration distributed 6110 ration kits 33411 medicine kits and 81300 cookedfood packets Flood shelters and community kitchens have been opened at Gopalnagar Tadi and BhojpurwaNational Disaster Response Force and PAC teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations In Varanasi the Central Water Commission recorded the Ganga at 7028 metres at 10 am above the 7026metre warning level but below the 71262metre danger markThe river was rising at 05 cm per hour Boats operated in waterlogged lanes while bodies were being cremated on rooftops and bylanes after traditional cremation grounds at Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats were inundatedSeveral families living along the Varuna river had been evacuated to relief camps In Chitrakoot the Mandakini was flowing around four metres above the danger mark after heavy rain in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh Commissioner of the Chitrakoot Dham division Ajit Kumar said affected people were being shifted to safer places and provided food and other assistanceRamghat and the Nirmohi Akhara were among the religious sites affected by waterlogging while a bridge connecting Ramghat and Nayagaon was damaged DIG Rajesh S said State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force teams were engaged in rescuing people trapped in floodwaters while Army helicopters evacuated several peoplePolice and administrative teams remained deployed in Pahadi Rajapur and Manikpur areas In Lakhimpur Kheri authorities closed all educational institutions up to Class 8 Rising Sharda waters disrupted train services on the MailaniNanpara section due to water seepage between Bhira and Palia stationsNorth Eastern Railway NER PRO Mahesh Gupta said services between Mailani Bichhia and Nanpara would remain suspended until further orders The situation along the Nepal border also remained a concern as the Mohana and Karnali rivers rose in the Tikunia area affecting border villages including those near Dudhwa National ParkIn Mirzapur officials opened two gates of the Aharoura reservoir at 930 am to release around 700 cusecs of water as its level rose rapidly following heavy rain Executive Engineer Harishankar Prasad said the catchment area recorded 105 mm of rainfallHe said the controlled release aimed to maintain the reservoir level and prevent flooding in lowlying areas of Mirzapur and ChandauliAcirc The Ganga in Mirzapur was still around 15 metres below the danger mark In Sonbhadra a breach in the embankment of the Nakti Nibhahwa pond in Belwania village caused waterlogging with water entering the homes of 11 familiesDistrict Magistrate Charchit Gaur said all affected families were evacuated to a panchayat building where food and other essential facilities were arranged Drainage work and medical assistance were also underway According to the district inspector of schools schools from Classes 1 to 12 will remain closed in Sonbhadra on Wednesday following the weather conditionsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its 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