With the flood situation deteriorating in eastern UP and the government taking help of Army and Air Force to assist people, Chief Minister Yogi Aditryanath carried out an aerial survey of some inundated regions and asked officers to be alive to the problems of the people.
“I do not want to hear any complaint from any quarter. Officers should be sensitive towards people’s plight, who have been forced to live in relief camps. Relief material should be distributed without fail,” Yogi said while addressing a gathering at Balrampur on Friday.
Yogi carried out aerial survey of flood-ravaged Balrampur, Sidharthnagar and Maharajganj districts and at some places met with officials and distributed relief material among the flood victims.
“During the aerial survey, I noticed water receding in some areas. The Health department should immediately start sprinkling of chlorine to prevent spread of contagious diseases. People should get potable water after the water recedes. Officers should also start evaluating the loss so that people could get compensation immediately,” Yogi said.
In Sidharthnagar, the CM said that no one should die of hunger and advised the administration to ensure that there was enough food for human and fodder for cattle in relief camps.
“This year the flood situation is very bad because no work has been done on dams and bundhs. These were not strengthened for so many years due to which a majority of them were washed away during floods,” he said.
Yogi observed that the situation in Sidharthnagar, Balrampur, Maharajganj, Gonda and Gorakhpur were bad as undeclared release of water from neighbouring Nepal has created havoc. “We should find a permanent solution to tackle this menace,” he said.
In Gorakhpur, 13 dams were washed away forcing the administration to take help of the Army and Air Force. The state government claimed that 36 people have died of floods since monsoon set in.
DM of Gorakhpur, Rajiv Rautela said that two choppers were helping in distribution of food among the people who were stuck on the roofs of their houses.
A Government spokesman said that 11 companies of NDRF and 17 campanies on PAC were working round the clock evacuating people from flood-ravaged areas. For this, 57 motor boats and 2192 boats have been deployed. The official said that floods have affected 12.80 lakh people spread over 22 districts.