Flood situation in UP remains grim, toll mounts to 91

Lucknow: The toll in the Uttar Pradesh floods on Thursday rose to 91 with reports of nine more deaths as the situation remained grim with 24 lakh people affected by the deluge in the state's eastern districts.

Nearly 57,000 people have taken shelter in relief camps in flood-affected districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh where there was no let up in the situation as waters of rivers emanating from Nepal caused havoc in vast swathes of human habitation, the relief commissioner's office said citing a flood report compiled till yesterday.

"The death toll in the floods has reached 91 in the state, where 3,067 villages in 25 districts are inundated, affecting a population of over 24 lakh," it said.

Reports reaching here said that Army choppers, and NDRF and PAC personnel are conducting relief and rescue operations in the severely-hit areas of the flood affected districts of the state, the office said.

The release of water in the rivers emanating from Nepal and incessant rains impeded rescue work and evacuation of people to safer areas, it said.

The office said that 28 companies of NDRF, 32 companies of PAC along with two choppers of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and several columns of Army personnel were working in the affected areas.

The Central Water Commission in a report here said that the Sharda river was flowing above the red mark at Palia Kalan and near the danger mark at Shardanagar.

The Rapti river was also flowing above the red mark at Rigauli and Birdghat (Gorakhpur), while the Budhi Rapti was above the danger level at Kakrahi (Siddharth Nagar), the report said, adding that the Ghaghra was flowing above the red mark at Elgin Bridge, Ayodhya and Turtipar (Ballia).

The Quano river is flowing above the danger mark at Chandradeep Ghat (Gonda), it said.