Flood cuts off 400 Bahraich villages from country

Ghaghra has joined Saryu in wreaking havoc in Bahraich and cut off 400 villages from the rest of the country as more water from Nepal was released within the last 24 hours. The swollen rivers washed away several roads and the district’s road link to Lucknow and Sitapur has been snapped. Rapti too caused widespread devastation in Balrampur and Shravasti districts thwarting train movement on Gonda-Mailani division.
Rivers in spate have destroyed around 1,000 houses in Bahraich, Balrampur and Shravasti and have left five lakh people in 1,546 hamlets marooned.
Water level of Ghaghra and Saryu rivers increased further on Wednesday following arrival of more water from flooded Kaudiyala and Gerwa rivers of Nepal. All three tehsils of Balrampur -- Tulsipur, Balrampur and Utraula -- have been affected by the floods. The Balrampur-Badni National Highway too is inundated and closed.
Around 1,044 majras of 202 gram panchayats of Nanpara, Mehsi and Kaiserganj tehsils of Bahraich are completely submerged rendering 3.25 lakh people homeless. Ghaghra was flowing 1.27 metres above the danger mark at Elgin Bridge.
Bahraich district magistrate (DM) Satyendra Singh said that two MI-17 helicopters have been stationed at Bakshi-Ka Talab(BKT) from Air Force Station Gorakhpur to undertake flood relief operations in flood-hit areas of Bahraich and Nanpara .
District Magistrate said that a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), two flood companies of PAC (Provincial Arms Constabulary ) and two Air Force choppers have been pressed into service. Till Tuesday evening, 4,800 people had been rescued through streamers, he said and added that the administration had sought Rs 106 crore from the state government for the safety of the affected families.
“As per Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) guidelines, kin of the deceased will get a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each after proper checking,” he added.