Flood situation worsens in western UP

The flood situation worsened further in the western districts of Uttar Pradesh with the death of four more persons in rain related incidents even as around 177 villages of Bareilly, Badaun, Pilibhit and Shahajanpur were inundated.

Meanwhile, Congress President Sonia Gandhi has arrived in Bareilly to undertake an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas, officials said.

"Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who this morning undertook a tour of flood and cloudburst hit areas of Uttarakhand where 60 people have died and thousands rendered homeless in the past few days, will conduct an aerial survey of Bareilly, Moradabad and Rampur," they said.

With the release of 40,000 cusecs water from Kalagarh dam, river Ramganga has swelled further submerging 177 villages of Bareilly division, officials said.

Four persons have died in flood-related incidents in the region, they said.

The National Highway 24, connecting Delhi with Lucknow, and Bareilly-Badaun road remained closed due to which several vehicles were stranded.

Narain bridge on the Kiccha river has been washed away by strong water current.

Akashwani and Doordarshan centres in Bareilly have also been hit by flood, they said.

Meanwhile, in Muzaffarnagar, the Pauri-Delhi National Highway has been closed for traffic due to floods.

Both the rivers Ganga and Solani were flowing above the danger mark in the district.

People in Maglispur Tofir, Sitabpuri, Maharajnagar, Khernagar Hasanpur Aluwala, Chuhapur, Reharwa, Ahmad Wala, villages have been evacuated by the PAC jawans to safer places.

Image: Local residents stand on a flooded road after heavy monsoon rains at Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh

Photograph: Reuters