UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Takes Stock Of Flood Situation, Promises Permanent Solution To Distress

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday met flood victims in his home district of Gorakhpur and distributed relief materials to them and assured them that the government was working towards a permanent solution to these repetitive floods.

Adityanath said that the state government, in this tragedy, had full sympathy with all the flood victims. Due to heavy rains in eastern Uttar Pradesh for the last 15 days, about 15 districts are in the grip of floods.

He said that about 2.25 lakh people spanning 304 villages of Gorakhpur district were badly affected.

The Chief Minister said, "At present, a large population has come under the grip of floods. The Central and state governments are standing with you in this time of disaster.”

He further said, "Adequate arrangements are being made for flood protection in the urban and rural areas of Gorakhpur. Different pumping sets have been installed in the metropolis, and action is being taken to ensure cleanliness and hygiene to prevent transmission of water-borne diseases. The administration has been directed to survey farmers whose crops have been destroyed due to floods and give compensation to them.”

CM Adityanath informed that the flood-prone rivers were being channelled by increasing their depth through dredging. Wherever floods approach human habitation, the stream is being diverted by installing stumbling blocks.

Dams are to be strengthened by pitching boulders on them and ring dams are to be constructed to check the floodwater from entering villages.

The relief packets which are being distributed include 10 kg rice, 10 kg flour, 10 kg potato, two kg pulses, one litre refined oil, 500 gm salt, spices, matchboxes, candles, umbrellas, and raincoats, among others.

Not only this, the Chief Minister also assured the flood victims that if the floodwaters remained for more days, the relief material would be distributed once again.

Tarkulani Regulator: A huge relief

During relief distribution to the flood victims in Belwar of Gorakhpur Rural assembly constituency, CM Adityanath emphasised upon the utility of the recently inaugurated Tarkulani Regulator.

He informed that the regulator has brought huge relief to the people around, otherwise the floodwaters would have reached Belwar.

Rs 16 crore- flood rescue works in Bansgaon

While distributing relief material to flood-affected people at Sarvodaya Inter College, Kaudiram in Bansgaon assembly constituency, CM Adityanath informed that an amount of Rs 16 crore was sanctioned for flood relief projects in the constituency.

Consequently, large-scale loss of life and property was averted by securing the Gagaha-Rakhat-Aswanpaar embankment, Aswanpaar-Dehraghat embankment, Bhowapaar-Gola embankment, Kanail-Majhgawan embankment and the Malaon embankment prior to the floods.

He said that if these measures had not been taken in advance, the floodwater would have entered Kauriram as soon as the flow of Rapti river reached 2.5 metres above the danger mark.

Rescue projects worth Rs 11 crore completed in Gola tehsil

While learning about the wellbeing of flood victims at the V.S.A.V. College, Gola, the Chief Minister said that flood rescue projects worth Rs 11 crore had already been completed in Gola tehsil, but more efforts were needed to permanently end this menace.

The Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department has already been engaged in implementing future flood-control plans for the region.

Rescue and relief operations in full swing

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner Ranvir Prasad, while appraising the rainfall situation, said that since 1 June 2021, the state had received an average rainfall of 601.7 mm, which is 91 per cent against the normal rainfall of 658.3 mm.

He spoke about the water level of rivers Sharda-Kheri, Ghagra-Ayodhya, Ballia, Rapti-Siddharthnagar, Gorakhpur, Budhi Rapti-Siddharthnagar, Kunhara-Siddharthnagar, Rohin-Maharajganj and Kuano — which are flowing above the danger level in Gonda and Basti.

He said that a total of 66 teams of NDRF, SDRF and PAC have been deployed for relief and rescue in the rain-affected districts of the state.

Prasad said that 6,425 boats had been deployed in the flood-affected areas and 1,027 medical teams had also been deployed.

He claimed that a total of 38,001 people had been evacuated. According to the Relief Commissioner, 1,134 flood shelters, 1,321 flood posts and 1,387 animal camps have been set up in the state so far.

He said that 371 motor boats and 166 vehicles had been deployed for search and rescue work.