Thursday, September 23, 2010

UP floods: 14 dead, toll now 270

At least 14 people died in the last 24 hours in the 12 flood-hit districts of western UP, taking the toll in rain-related incidents in the state to 270.
Nearly 5 lakh people across 1,032 villages have been affected, 47 villages have been marooned. On Wednesday, the Army was called out in Shahjahanpur district.
Relief Commissioner KK Sinha said: "Ramganga and Garrah are in spate in Shahjahanpur and the Army has been requisitioned to evacuate people from the marooned villages."
He said the situation in the 12 districts is stabilising and the administration is running relief and rescue operations with state funds.
The situation has improved in Moradabad city, with the receding of flood water in six colonies.
District Magistrate SC Sharma said two relief camps in the city have been closed and the people have returned to their homes. "The relief work in 91 villages of the district is still on, as many as four of the 13 development blocks are still inundated," he said.
Chief Minister Mayawati has demanded Rs 2,000 crore from the Centre for conducting flood relief operations.
"Of that sum, Rs 1,000 crore is needed for Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal (eastern UP) and the rest for Western UP," Mayawati said after an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas.
She said Rs 225 crore was needed immediately for relief measures but added that if the Centre did not release the funds, the state will use its own resources.
According to the Central Water Commission, the Ganga was flowing almost at the danger mark in Fatehgarh, Gumatia (Kannauj), and Dalmau (Rae Bareilly) and was rising at Phapamau (Allahabad), Mirzapur, Varanasi and Ghazipur. River Ramganga was flowing above the red mark in Bareilly and rising in Shahjahanpur. The Yamuna was rising at Prayag Ghat in Mathura, Kalpi, Hamirpur, Naini (Allahabad) and Chillaghat (Banda). Ghaghara was above the danger mark at Elgin Bridge in Barabanki, Ayodhya and in Ballia.

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