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Colonies flooded, 4,500 displaced: Barabanki tries to pick up the pieces after rainstorm
Home to about 1.5 lakh people, the municipality was facing heavy waterlogging in multiple areas on Wednesday, all thanks to its poor drainage system.
After the recent torrential rain and the subsequent flooding in Barabanki, people here were busy getting their life back on track. Although rain gods remained calm for the last two days, the September 11 storm has thousands many in the lurch.
Home to about 1.5 lakh people, the municipality was facing heavy waterlogging in multiple areas, all thanks to its poor drainage system. Amid rescue efforts by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, which continued Wednesday, hundreds of houses remained under water with people majorly confined to upper floors or the roofs. Also, many families could be seen taking shelter on roadsides and on verandahs of shops.
District magistrate Avinash Kumar said the overflowing Jamuria drain was the major reason for flooding in the city, due to which over 4,500 people were displaced. “The flooding was majorly caused by the overflowing Jamuria drain due to 324 mm rain on September 11. The Reth and Kalyani streams, which are usually dormant, were flooded. Due to encroachment on the catchment area of Jamuria Nala, the entire 22-km-stretch was flooded,” he added.
“The district administration has deployed 25 boats in 12 wards for the movement of people. More than 4,500 people living in the catchment area of Jamuria have been relocated,” the DM observed, adding water was pumped out of the power house in Fatehpur Kursi area of the city.
Also, over 5,000 people in the waterlogged areas were supplied food.
Even though the Jamuria levels decreased slightly over the last two days, residents of colonies near Chhaya Intersection, Ghosiana, Pirbatavan, Satyapremi Nagar and Satrikh were still struggling with waterlogging.
“Heavy rain has left my colony under water. There has hardly been any power supply in the last three days,” said Nitin Keshavji, who resides in Sriram Colony in the city.
“The entire stretch in front of my house remained waterlogged for the last two days. It is only today that it was drained out,” said Yogendra Prasad Shukla, a government official who lives on Chhaya-Rajkamal Road in the heart of the city. The Chhaya roundabout, KD Singh Babu Road, the roadways bus stand, Peerbatavan, Haddi Ganj, Nabi Ganj and Palhari were the worst-hit areas.
Also, around 100 metres of the Jehangirabad-Barabanki Road washed away near ITI Thana in the downpour, said Jitendra Gupta, a fertiliser trader in Satrikh Naka area of Barabanki.
Gupta further said the business community there had suffered losses worth crores of rupees. “Waterlogging is still an issue in many areas of Barabanki. Stocks of many traders have been destroyed. So much of animal livestock is missing after the rains.”
“My shop is still submerged in water. I am yet to assess the exact loss,” said Mrinal Tripathi, who runs an automobile parts shop.
Rajeev Gupta Babbi, the vice-president of U.P. Adarsh Vyapar Mandal, traders in the city suffered losses worth ₹50 crore.
Erratic power supply
Power and water supply have been badly hit. A power department official, who did not wish to be named, said, the Palhari power house had remained submerged amid efforts to pump the rainwater out.”
According to residents, power supply in the city has been erratic ever since the rain. They say that frequent disruptions had affected their daily life.
