UP rain wreaks havoc: 2 dead, 2 missing, 20,000 affected in Ballia

Heavy rain and rising rivers disrupted life across Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, leaving two dead in Sitapur and two minor girls missing in Ghazipur, while floods affected around 20,000 people in Ballia, and the Mandakini rose four metres above the danger mark in Chitrakoot.

In Varanasi, the Ganga crossed the warning level, inundating lanes and forcing boats to operate in several areas. Cremations at the Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats were shifted to rooftops and bylanes.

In Sitapur, 32-year-old Nekram and his five-year-old niece Lakshmi were killed when a mud wall collapsed in Gaura village under the Kamlapur police station on Tuesday evening. An eight-year-old boy, Mohit, was injured and is undergoing treatment, police said.

Inspector-in-charge Atul Chaudhary said continuous rain had weakened the structure and the wall suddenly collapsed while the victims were inside.

In Ghazipur, 16-year-old Mahi Singh and 14-year-old Mahima Singh of Basantpatti village were swept away while bathing in the Ganga at Chochakpur Ghat in the Karanda area. Police and administrative teams, assisted by boatmen, were searching for them but had not found them by the time this report was filed.

In Ballia, Ganga waters have entered several residential areas, affecting around 20,000 people, according to the district administration. Forty-seven boats have been deployed for relief and movement.

District Magistrate Mangla Prasad Singh said the Ganga was 1.60 metres above the danger mark and was expected to rise further slightly by Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

"All our teams are on alert" in the 39 villages along the Ganga in Ballia Sadar and 17 in Bairia, Singh told reporters. The Ghaghra (Saryu) was flowing at the danger mark, and authorities were also monitoring erosion.

Officials said the administration distributed 6,110 ration kits, 33,411 medicine kits and 81,300 cooked-food packets. Flood shelters and community kitchens have been opened at Gopalnagar Tadi and Bhojpurwa.

National Disaster Response Force and PAC teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations. In Varanasi, the Central Water Commission recorded the Ganga at 70.28 metres at 10 am, above the 70.26-metre warning level but below the 71.262-metre danger mark.

The river was rising at 0.5 cm per hour. Boats operated in waterlogged lanes, while bodies were being cremated on rooftops and bylanes after traditional cremation grounds at Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats were inundated.

Several families living along the Varuna river had been evacuated to relief camps. In Chitrakoot, the Mandakini was flowing around four metres above the danger mark after heavy rain in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. Commissioner of the Chitrakoot Dham division Ajit Kumar said affected people were being shifted to safer places and provided food and other assistance.

Ramghat and the Nirmohi Akhara were among the religious sites affected by waterlogging, while a bridge connecting Ramghat and Nayagaon was damaged. DIG Rajesh S said State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force teams were engaged in rescuing people trapped in floodwaters, while Army helicopters evacuated several people.

Police and administrative teams remained deployed in Pahadi, Rajapur and Manikpur areas. In Lakhimpur Kheri, authorities closed all educational institutions up to Class 8. Rising Sharda waters disrupted train services on the Mailani-Nanpara section due to water seepage between Bhira and Palia stations.

North Eastern Railway (NER) PRO Mahesh Gupta said services between Mailani, Bichhia and Nanpara would remain suspended until further orders.

The situation along the Nepal border also remained a concern as the Mohana and Karnali rivers rose in the Tikunia area, affecting border villages, including those near Dudhwa National Park.

In Mirzapur, officials opened two gates of the Aharoura reservoir at 9:30 am to release around 700 cusecs of water as its level rose rapidly following heavy rain. Executive Engineer Harishankar Prasad said the catchment area recorded 105 mm of rainfall.

He said the controlled release aimed to maintain the reservoir level and prevent flooding in low-lying areas of Mirzapur and Chandauli.  The Ganga in Mirzapur was still around 1.5 metres below the danger mark. In Sonbhadra, a breach in the embankment of the Nakti Nibhahwa pond in Belwania village caused waterlogging, with water entering the homes of 11 families.

District Magistrate Charchit Gaur said all affected families were evacuated to a panchayat building, where food and other essential facilities were arranged. Drainage work and medical assistance were also underway. According to the district inspector of schools, schools from Classes 1 to 12 will remain closed in Sonbhadra on Wednesday following the weather conditions.