- The administration issued a high alert in Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts of UP due to Nepal flash floods
- Officials are monitoring Gandak and other rivers, preparing for relief and rescue ops if water levels rise
- Nepal floods killed at least 177 people, with thousands missing including nearly 300 Indian tourists
The administration has sounded a high alert in Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts of Uttar Pradesh, while stepping up the monitoring of the Gandak and other water bodies downstream of rivers in Nepal, following devastating flash floods in the neighbouring country that have killed at least 177 people and left thousands missing.
The administration in Uttar Pradesh, which shares its northern borders with Nepal, has said its focus is on continuous river monitoring, alerting vulnerable villages and keeping relief-and-rescue teams ready for any possible flood situation.
The Nepal floods triggered after an ice-rock landslide blocked a river near the country's border with China. The floods have affected several districts and left at least 826 people missing, according to Nepal's disaster management authorities.
Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has said nearly 300 Indian tourists are among the thousands reported missing.
The flash floods in the Himalayan country have caused extensive damage to bridges and roads, with several major highways blocked.
In Maharajganj, senior officials, including Additional District Magistrate Prashant Kumar, have been deployed in vulnerable riverine areas to monitor the water level and flow of the Gandak, Darjaniya, Tail Fall and other rivers and water channels receiving water from Nepal.
Officials have been asked stay alert so that relief-and-rescue operations can be launched immediately in case of a sudden rise in the water level. Villages along riverbanks and low-lying areas are being closely monitored, with preparations made to evacuate residents, if required.
Kumar said the administration is fully prepared and that water levels and river flows are continuously being monitored. He appealed to people to avoid going near rivers unnecessarily, follow official advisories and not pay heed to rumours.
In neighbouring Kushinagar, the administration has stepped up preparations amid rising water levels of Gandak, known locally as Narayani.
District Magistrate Mahendra Singh Tanwar, accompanied by Superintendent of Police Keshav Kumar, inspected vulnerable riverside villages and the Valmikinagar barrage and urged residents to remain alert and stay away from the river and low-lying areas.
In Balrampur, a condolence meeting was held at the Samajwadi Party (SP) office to pay tribute to those killed in the Nepal disaster. Gaisri MLA Rakesh Yadav, whose constituency borders Nepal, announced that the SP would send relief material, including medicines, medical equipment, food packets, tents, tarpaulins and drinking water, to flood-affected areas in the Himalayan country.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Gonda's BJP MP Kirti Vardhan Singh expressed grief over the deaths and disappearance of Indian tourists in Nepal, saying the Indian government is assisting in the relief-and-rescue operations. He said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has reached Nepal and is searching for missing people with modern equipment and technology.
Singh said water levels in rivers and changing weather conditions are continuously being monitored in border districts, including Lakhimpur Kheri, Gonda, Bahraich and Maharajganj, with a system in place to receive advance information about water being released from Nepal.
According to the Central Water Commission's (CWC) Daily Water Level and Forecast Bulletin dated August 27, the Rapti was rising at Madhwapur in Bihar, where the water level stood at 124.54 metres at 8 am, while it was also rising at Sarju (Babai) in Gaighat and several stations on the Kwano and Sarda rivers. The Rapti recorded 40 mm of rainfall at Bhinga, 36.4 mm at Madhwapur and 43.6 mm at Balrampur during the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Thursday.
The bulletin also showed that the Sarda at Uttarakhand's Banbasa received 67 mm of rainfall and was at 217.6 metres at 8 am, while the Sarda at Kabir Ganj in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit was rising at 163.23 metres. The CWC said the Ghagra at Turtipar in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia was above its warning level, at 64.06 metres against a warning level of 63.01 metres, though the level was falling.
The administration is particularly monitoring villages in sandy areas across the river, where large numbers of people and livestock live close to the river. Officials said arrangements are being made to move people to safer locations if the water level rises sharply.
The Valmikinagar barrage in Bihar has been under close watch, with all 36 gates opened. The discharge rose from about 1.04 lakh cusecs at 8 pm to 1.36 lakh cusecs at 9:30 pm and 1.42 lakh cusecs at 10 pm, according to the district administration.
Officials said river pressure is being observed at vulnerable stretches of the Narwa Jot AP embankment, including between 3 and 4 km, at the spur at 10.518 km and between 13 and 14.5 km.
A State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team has been deployed with rescue equipment and kept on alert.
Police personnel in Khadda, Hanumanganj, Tarayasu Jan and Sevarahi police station areas have also been alerted. Two platoons of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed, while two more have been sought.
The administration has directed officials to use loudspeakers to alert residents in vulnerable villages. Drinking water, mobile toilets and other essential facilities are also being arranged as a precaution.
Meanwhile, yajnas and prayers were held in Vrindavan for the safety of those affected by the Nepal floods. The programme is scheduled to continue until the situation improves.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
