Torrential rainfall continues to wreak havoc across UP, 17 dead
Lucknow: Torrential rainfall across Uttar Pradesh entered its third consecutive day on Sunday, leaving behind a trail of devastation. The relentless downpour caused multiple house collapses and lightning strikes, claiming 17 lives across various districts.
Awadh emerged as the worst-hit region, with Ambedkar Nagar reporting four deaths, including two elderly individuals, due to house collapses.
In Sultanpur, two more fatalities occurred as homes collapsed and lightning struck amidst the unyielding rain. Meanwhile, in Shravasti, rising water levels in the Rapti River have raised serious concerns of flooding. The river surged past the danger level, inundating villages and threatening further damage.
Tragic incidents were also reported from Chitrakoot, where lightning strikes killed a farmer and a woman in separate incidents. In Fatehpur, a woman lost her life when the wall of her mud house collapsed under the pressure of the incessant rain. Prayagraj witnessed a fatal accident as a rickshaw puller was killed when the tin roof of his dwelling collapsed during the storm.
The situation in eastern Uttar Pradesh also remains dire. Lightning strikes in Varanasi, Jaunpur, Bhadohi, and Ballia claimed the lives of five people, including three women. Gorakhpur reported two more deaths in rain-related accidents.
In Shravasti, the situation worsened as heavy rainfall in Nepal caused the Kusuma River to overflow, sending floodwaters into the Rapti River. By Saturday evening, the water level at the Jamunaha Rapti Barrage was recorded at 110 cm above the danger mark. Villages like Laburwa in the Ikauna region are facing severe soil erosion, with fields entirely submerged. Authorities have issued an alert for 20 villages in Bahraich, anticipating further flooding.
Rescue operations were successfully carried out in Sultanpur’s Udaipur village, where seven members of Harishankar Tiwari’s family were saved after their home was encircled by floodwaters. Firefighters swiftly moved them to safety. Several districts in the Gorakhpur-Basti region, including Siddharthnagar, Kushinagar, and Maharajganj, have seen entire villages inundated as rivers like Rapti, Rohin, Saryu, and Gandak continue to swell.
Landslides, triggered by the relentless rains, have cut off key roads connecting Sonauli to Kathmandu and Pokhara, leaving over 200 vehicles stranded.
The heavy rainfall has devastated the agricultural sector, with many fields submerged, raising alarm among farmers growing paddy, pigeon peas, peanuts, and vegetables. Many fear that the prolonged waterlogging may cause irreparable damage to their crops, which could have long-term consequences for the farming community. In Kanpur, the rainfall disrupted the second day of the India-Bangladesh Test match at Green Park, leading to a complete washout.
The Meteorological Department predicts that sporadic drizzles will continue in most parts of the state on Monday, though clearer skies are expected from Tuesday onward as the monsoon begins to recede in western Uttar Pradesh. Meteorologist M. Danish noted signs of weakening monsoon activity from Tuesday. Banda district recorded the heaviest rainfall, with 270 mm from Saturday evening to Sunday morning. Other districts, including Siddharthnagar, Basti, Gorakhpur, and Jaunpur, also experienced significant downpours.
