Sarayu floods several villages in Gorakhpur, Rapti’s water level also rising
Affected residents say that the havoc wreaked by Sarayu is reminiscent of the catastrophic flood which hit the region in 1998.
GORAKHPUR: The overflowing Sarayu river has inundated several areas of Gola and Barhalganj tehsils in Gorakhpur. Given the ground situation, district magistrate Krishna Karunesh has declared the Gola and Barhalganj towns as a collective zone that will be monitored for relief work by the district development officer and the panchayat raj officer.
The river in spate has eroded the Derwa ring embankment in Gola, marooning several villages. Affected residents say that the havoc wreaked by Sarayu is reminiscent of the catastrophic flood which hit the region in 1998. As per official sources, 245 villages in the district are submerged. Along with Gorakhpur, adjoining Azamgarh and Deoria districts have also been affected by the flooded river.
To mitigate the crisis and reach out to those in need, 296 boats have been pressed into service to carry out the relief work. Also, Prayagraj district officials have been asked to send 12 motor boats for additional help. In some positive news, officials of the central water commission have said that Sarayu is gradually receding and a 14 cm decline in the river’s water level has been observed.
Meanwhile, the Rapti river, albeit slowly, is inching close to the danger mark in Gorakhpur, Siddharthnagar, and Sant Kabir Nagar districts. Sources said that the river disrupted traffic movement on the Bansi-Naugarh route in Siddharthnagar.