LUCKNOW: Nineteen people have been killed in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh in the past 24 hours, the state relief commissioner's office said Monday evening.
The central region of the state comprising districts like Lucknow, Kanpur, Unnao, Hardoi, and Sitapur faced the rain fury the most forcing the district administrations to shut the schools for a day.
While four deaths were reported from Hardoi, three from Barabanki, two each from Pratapgarh and Kannauj, and one each from Amethi, Deoria, Jalaun, Kanpur, Unnao, Sambhal, Rampur and Muzaffarnagar districts, it said.
While 13 persons died due to heavy rains, four lost their lives after coming under lightning, and two persons died of drowning.
In Kannauj, two brothers -- Kallu (13) and Avnish (17) -- died after the thatched roof of their house in Lalkiyapur village in Tirwa area collapsed following overnight rains.
In Muzaffarnagar district, Deepika (28) died when the roof of her house in Rahmatpur village collapsed on Sunday night, while her mother-in-law sustained serious injuries. Similarly, in Deoria, Divya Chauhan (9) drowned while taking a bath in a swollen rivulet in the district.
In all 22 districts of the state, including Moradabad, Sambhal, Kannauj, Rampur, Hathras, Barabanki, Kasganj, Bijnor, Amroha, Bahraich, Lucknow, Badaun, Mainpuri, Hardoi, Firozabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Kanpur, Sitapur Farrukhabad, Lakhimpur Kheri and Fatehpur, received over 40 mm rain during the last 24 hours.
Taking cognisance of incessant rains lashing the state for the last 24 hours, UP CM Yogi Adityanath issued directives to the authorities concerned to react to the situation with promptness while speeding up the relief work in affected districts. He asked the officials to distribute the sanctioned financial relief promptly without losing time.
According to the MET department forecast, heavy rains are likely in the eastern region till September 14 while light rains will continue till September 17, the official of the relief commissioner office said.
The western region of the state is also likely to get showers till September 17, though there is an alert for lightning over the state till September 15.
In Barabanki, the movement of trains was hit as water came on the railway tracks. A passenger train was halted at the outer for some time but later the trains were allowed to pass at a very slow pace, a railway official said.
In the state capital Lucknow, which had received 99.9 mm rainfall till 8 a.m. on Monday, schools remained closed and an advisory was issued for the people not to venture out unnecessarily in view of the possibility of severe lightning.
The 52nd statue of 60 elephants installed in the famous sprawling Ambedkar Park at the centre of the city got damaged due to lightning.
In Unnao, lightning struck at many places leaving 140 sheep dead in Hasanganj tehsil, SDM Hasanganj Naveen Chandra said.
The official of the relief commissioner's office said as many as 19 tehsils of 10 districts were affected by flood in Ballia, Barabanki, Badaun, Farrukhabad, Kasganj, Kheri, Kushinagar, Mau, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar districts.
According to the official, 173 villages and a population of 55,982 were badly hit by the rains. However, no river is presently flowing above the danger level in the state, but Ganga in Bijnor and Son in Mirzapur (Bansagar dam) are showing a rising trend.
Amid several urban and rural areas witnessing waterlogging on the main routes and approach roads due to incessant rains since Sunday night, the Nipun Assessment Test (NAT) scheduled to be held on Monday and Tuesday among all government-run primary and upper primary schools had to be postponed, Lakhimpur Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Pravin Tiwari said.
"The NAT examination in all basic schools would remain suspended on September 11," the BSA said In Unnao, lightning struck at many places leaving 140 sheep dead in Hasanganj tehsil, SDM Hasanganj Naveen Chandra said.
The official of the relief commissioner's office said as many as 19 tehsils of 10 districts have been affected by flood in Ballia, Barabanki, Badaun, Farrukhabad, Kasganj, Kheri, Kushinagar, Mau, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar districts.
According to the official, 173 villages and a population of 55,982 have been affected.
Shelter homes have been set up but no one has been shifted there and the NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed in some districts and have been put on high alert, the official said.
Lunch packets and foodgrains are being distributed and vaccination of animals and medical camps are functional, the official said.
Agriculture losses, if any, are being evaluated, the official said, adding that water logging in urban areas has also been reported and efforts are on to clear the water.
No river is presently flowing above the danger level in the state as of now, but Ganga in Bijnor and Son river in Mirzapur (Bansagar dam) have seen a rising trend.
(With inputs from PTI)