launch relief ops on war-footing, CM tells officials

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav directed the concerned district officials to start rescue and relief works at war footing and ordered senior officers that every kind of relief measures should be forwarded to the affected areas in time. In his first administrative ordered after returning from personal foreign tour here on Sunday afternoon, Akhilesh Yadav said that government would not tolerate any laxity and asked them to prepare in

advance for the flood fury.  He said that the district magistrates and Police Superintendents of Barabanki, Faizabad,Ambedkarnagar,Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia, lakhimpur Kheri and other parts of the eastern UP should prepare for the floods by deploying boats and other materials. ''Government has already provided all financial and other assistance to the districts to provide relief and rescue works during the floods,'' he claimed.  Around 12 districts in the State is under the grip of flood affecting around one million people.

Meanwhile flood situation in the State deteriorated further as the Ganga was flowing near the danger level at three places and was rising all along its course.  Sharda, Ghaghra and Rapti rivers were flowing above the danger mark at several places, inundating more than 1,000 Villages so far.  Floods and rain-related incidents in the state has claimed 133 lives so far.

The floods have affected around one million people in 47 tehsils of 12 districts in the State.  The deluge condition has thrown normal life out of gear in the flood-hit districts. According to Central Water Commission, the Ganga was near the red mark at Fatehgarh, Kannauj and Kanpur Dehat and was rising steadily.

People living in the low lying areas have been shifted to safer places.  Sharda was overflowing in Paliyakala (Kheri) by one meter while Ghaghra with 1.50 meters was above the danger level in Elginbridge (Barabanki), by one meter in Ayodhya and by 0.55 meter in Balia. Rapti river has threatened the populace in Balrampur  district where the water is flowing 2.5 meters above the danger level. The river has also crossed the red mark at Shravasti, Sidharthnagar and Gorakhpur areas too. 

Kyano river has  inundated  516 villages in Basti as the river flowing near the danger level at Gonda, Basi and Sant Kabirnagar districts. Though there was no report of heavy rainfalls in the state during the past 24 hours, the weatherman has predicted moderate rainfalls in isolated parts of the state in next 48 hours.