LUCKNOW: With almost all major rivers in Uttar Pradesh flowing above the danger mark and floods continuing across several districts due to heavy rainfall, the Meteorological Department on Wednesday issued rain alerts for 38 districts, warning of heavy downpour in five and light rain in the remaining 33.
The water levels of rivers, including the Ganga, Yamuna, Sharda, and Saryu are rising continuously, disrupting normal life across the state. Water released from the Hathini Kund Barrage has worsened the situation in Vrindavan, Mathura, where nearly half of the area is flood-affected.
Floodwaters have even reached the Radha Vallabh and Banke Bihari temples. Moreover, the parikrama (circumambulation) path in Vrindavan has gone completely underwater.
Normally, the distance between the Banke Bihari Temple and the Yamuna is about 600 metres, but now the floodwaters have closed in to just 100 metres.
In Agra, the Yamuna flood has reached Hathi Ghat, with 2 to 3 feet of water blocking roads and halting traffic. The water level has now touched the boundary wall of the Taj Mahal.
At the Bijnor Ganga Barrage, the Ravali embankment has also suffered damage due to erosion. Authorities from the irrigation and administration departments are working to control the situation, while traffic on the Delhi-Pauri highway has been suspended as a precaution.
In Lakhimpur Kheri, floodwaters brought in a crocodile that killed a young man in Murghaha village while he was returning from his field. Villagers claimed at least four crocodiles were present in the drain, but the forest department has yet to respond.
In Kannauj, central Uttar Pradesh, heavy rainfall on Monday afternoon led to the collapse of a 700-year-old tomb wall. The incident damaged three houses and buried five motorcycles under debris. In Prayagraj, floodwater entered residential areas, submerging over 1,000 houses in the Chhota Baghada locality.
According to the Meteorological Department, Uttar Pradesh received 2.6 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, which is 56% below the average estimate of 5.9 mm. However, the seasonal rainfall since the beginning of the monsoon has reached 647.5 mm, nearly equal to the average of 647.3 mm, fulfilling the state’s rainfall quota so far.