With Uttar Pradesh receiving 19 times its normal rainfall in the last 24 hours, UP rain-floods have attracted thunderstorms and strong winds, causing wreckage to over 100 houses and affecting people. As per officials, 63 districts of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday experienced water immersion and some moderate risk of flash floods.
Affecting 117 houses and standing crops, 5 people were killed in incidents related to mud-wall collapses, while another five died when trees were uprooted due to strong winds and heavy rain, which also left 14 injured. Casualties were reported from Lakhimpur Kheri, Amethi, Barabanki and Gorakhpur districts.
In Lucknow, three members of a family were injured after the wall of a mud house collapsed in Chaina village. They were rescued and provided medical treatment. In Kannauj, 20 kutcha houses were damaged, and no deaths were reported in the district.
In Gorakhpur, 4 people were killed. In Gajarhiya Tola of Lakshmipur II village in Campierganj, an old sal tree fell on a hut around 4 pm, killing Subhash (55), Gyanmati Devi (45) and Kishan Prajapati (13). Two others, Rammilan and Sirjavati, sustained serious injuries.
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Several villagers had taken shelter in the hut when the tree fell during the storm. Local residents removed the debris and rescued the injured. The SDM and police officials reached the spot and supervised relief operations.
The falling trees also disturbed the electricity poles, disrupting the power supply, and electricity was disconnected before rescue operations began.
According to weather data, Lucknow recorded 125.8 mm of rainfall in the 21 hours ending Saturday morning. Farrukhabad received 200 times its normal rainfall, while Kanpur Nagar recorded 160 times and Kannauj, Kanpur Dehat and Hardoi 130 times their normal rainfall.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at several places in eastern Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, with rain and thundershowers likely at several places on Sunday.
A depression over northeast Madhya Pradesh and adjoining north Chhattisgarh was moving north-northwestwards towards southeast Uttar Pradesh. At 5.30 am on Saturday, it was centred around 230 km south of Prayagraj, officials said.
The system was expected to remain a depression until Saturday evening before weakening into a well-marked low-pressure area over the next 12 hours, the IMD said. The state government has put district administrations on alert in view of the forecast and the possibility of flash floods.
Districts identified as vulnerable to sudden flooding include Azamgarh, Ballia, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Basti, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Gonda, Hardoi, Lucknow, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Barabanki, Amethi, Kaushambi and Chitrakoot.
Schools have been ordered to remain closed in districts under red alert and facing the possibility of flash floods.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed district magistrates in affected areas to remain vigilant and visit vulnerable locations. Relief and rescue agencies have been asked to remain prepared, while district administrations have been directed to issue weather warnings.
It is up to some time and the grace of nature that the situation will remain assuaged.
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