Fresh flood alarm in UP as both Ganga and Yamuna rise amid heavy rain

Incessant downpour in Uttar Pradesh has flooded several areas and increased the water level in both Ganga and Yamuna rivers.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed ministers and officials to hasten the relief work and urged them to ensure the safety of everyone who affected in the floods.

While taking all the necessary steps in flood-hit areas, he also announced solatium to the kin of Uttar Pradesh pilgrims who died in landslide occurred at Vaishno Devi route in Jammu and Kashmir.

Both the Ganga and the Yamuna are inching closer to the danger mark. The renewed flood threat in the state has prompted the administration to speed up relief efforts across 17 flood-hit districts.

With continuous heavy rains disrupting life across the state, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday (August 27) directed ministers in charge of the affected districts to personally oversee rescue and relief operations, according to an official statement.

He also urged public representatives to ensure no affected family is left unattended.

Also Read: IAF, Army rescue 800 people as J-K, Punjab grapple with devastating floods

Relief efforts

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sadar) Abhishek Singh said five relief shelters are operational in the Sadar area, housing around 1,200 residents.

"One centre is in Sadar Bazar, another at Annie Besant School in Chhota Baghara, and three more are functioning at different locations. Additional shelters are being prepared," he said.

Relief Commissioner Bhanu Chandra Goswami said, so far, 2.45 lakh people and over 30,000 cattle have been relocated from inundated areas. The floods have affected 37 tehsils and 688 villages, spanning nearly 27,061 hectares of land. Relief supplies are being ferried using 548 boats and motorboats, while 1,904 food packets and 11,350 lunch packets were distributed on Wednesday alone.

A total of 996 flood posts and 284 shelters are operational across the 17 affected districts, including Prayagraj, Ballia, Bahraich, Varanasi and Muzaffarnagar, housing 4,440 people. Medical teams have been deployed to conduct health check-ups, while chlorine tablets and ORS packets are being distributed to curb waterborne diseases, officials said.

Heramb Chaturvedi, a professor from Allahabad Central University, blamed repeated flooding on "human interference with nature," citing the increased water releases from multiple barrages and dams.

Also Read: Sher-e-Punjab restaurant in Manali washed away amid floods in Himachal

Solatium for kin of Vaishno Devi landslide victims

Even as the state grapples with floods, several people from Uttar Pradesh died in a landslide while on a pilgrimage to Jammu and Kashmir's Vaishno Devi shrine.

On Wednesday, Adityanath expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the landslide in Reasi district and announced Rs 4 lakh as financial assistance for the next of kin of all deceased pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh.

He further directed officials to ensure that the mortal remains of the victims are transported back to their native places in the state as soon as possible. The exact number of pilgrims from the state is not yet clear.

Among the victims from the state were a newlywed woman from Baghpat district and her elder sister. Three other family members were seriously injured, as reported by relatives.

The deceased were identified as Chandni (23), the wife of Mayank Goyal from Khekra, and her elder sister Neera (36). Those injured include Chandni's husband, Mayank, Neera's husband, Amit (40), and their 10-year-old daughter, Vidhi.

Family members mentioned that Mayank and Chandni were married in April of this year. The family left for the shrine by train on August 25. "After offering prayers, as they were returning, a sudden landslide sent large boulders crashing down on them," a relative explained.

Also Read: Punjab floods: Rescue efforts intensified, boats used to evacuate people

Arrangements to bring mortal remains are underway

"We learned about the accident through a hospital staff member who called us from Mayank's phone. The family rushed to Jammu immediately," Mayank's uncle, Anil Goyal, told local media.

Another deceased, identified as Neera, a Ghaziabad resident, was married to Meerut-based jeweller Amit. Her father-in-law, Ashok, expressed concern, stating, "When we couldn't reach them late at night, we feared something had happened. The next morning, our worst fears were confirmed with a call from my son."

The injured are being treated at a Jammu hospital, while arrangements are underway to bring the mortal remains home.

According to officials in Jammu and Kashmir, the death toll from the landslide has risen to 34, while at least 20 others have been injured after part of the mountainside collapsed near the hilltop shrine on Tuesday afternoon due to heavy rainfall.

Pilgrimage activities to the shrine were suspended after boulders and debris fell around 3 pm on Tuesday, catching devotees off guard. Rescue operations are underway, with the Army, NDRF, and other agencies deployed at the site.

(With agency inputs)