Crops worth 21.48 crore destroyed

Lucknow: Agriculture production commissioner (APC) Pradeep Bhatnagar held a meeting of district magistrates (DMs) of the flood-affected districts through video conferencing and directed them to ensure payment of at least 25% of crop insurance claims of farmers who have lost their yields due to floods. As per government estimates, crops worth an estimated Rs 21.48 crore have been destroyed in the floods so far.
The Indian Air Force and the Allahabad district administration launched relief operations in the Sangam city by dropping food packets particularly in regions which have been marooned and cut off from the rest of the district. Earlier, a similar exercise was launched in Gorakhpur. The NDRF teams evacuated 118 persons at Ranipur, 25 persons at Mirzapur, 640 at Varanasi, 507 at Ballia, 32 at Ghazipur and eight persons at Banda. Besides, NDRF teams have also distributed relief materials to marooned people in low-lying areas.
While the Ganga remained above the danger mark at Phaphamau and Chatnag in Allahabad, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Ghazipur and Ballia districts, Yamuna continued to swell in Jalaun, Hamirpur, Banda and Allahabad. The Betwa river was also inching towards the danger mark in Hamirpur and Lakhimpur Kheri. A sharp increase in water levels of the Ganga in Farrukhabad, Yamuna in Mathura and Auraiya and Ghaghra in Barabanki, Faizabad and Lakhimpur Kheri has increased the concern of those involved with rescue work.