Major rivers stable, some recede

Monsoon wadings: Situation in some areas, however, continues to be grim. Two drown in Aligarh; outbreak of diseases in West UP

The water level of major rivers – the Ganga, Yamuna, Sharda, Ghaghra and the Rapti —are either stable or have started decreasing in various districts as there has been no heavy rainfall in the foothills of the Himalayas in the last two days. The declining water level has come as a respite for the people whose villages have been marooned by the floodwater.

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While the water level was normal in Pilibhit and Lakhimpur Kheri, the Ghaghra was flowing above the danger mark in Barabanki. In Bulandshahar and Aligarh, the Ganga river was flowing above the danger level.

The swollen Sharda river began receding in Pallia tehsil of Kheri on Thursday but the situation was grim in Dhaurhera and Nigahasan tehsils where nearly 100 villages were inundated. The river started flowing parallel to the Pilibhit-Basti highway connecting the Dhaurehra tehsil to the district headquarters.

As for Pallia, additional district magistrate (ADM) Vidya Shankar Singh confirmed the water level of the river was gradually coming down in some areas as there had been no fresh discharge from the Banbasa barrage in Nepal with the result that road and rail services were restored.

Earlier, on June 17, 540000 cusec water was released into the Sharda from the Banbasa barrage following heavy rain in the Himalayan region, breaking an 81-year- old record and causing the river, which has a capacity for up to two lakh cusecs of water, to overflow.

“In 1932, 510000 cusec water had to be discharged into Sharda, but it was unprecedented on Monday night,” the additional district magistrate added.

This heavy discharge, when the administration was busy finalising the anti-flood work plans, caught everyone offguard.