UP flood death toll hits 325 as rainfall intensifies; major rivers in spate

Big rivers are in spate and more than a dozen districts flooded following heavy rainfall in Uttar Pradesh and the adjoining hilly regions over the past few days even as the death toll in the current monsoon season has increased to 325.

More than 21 people have reportedly died over the last 48 hrs in flood-related incidents, including drowning and wall collapse, across the state, including Shahjahanpur, Amethi and Auraiya districts.

Monsoon activity, which had started to slow down, however, regained momentum over the past week, inundating large parts of the agricultural and inhabited land. The government had already deployed columns of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF), and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) in the flood relief and rescue operations in the worst-affected areas.

Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers were pressed into service to rescue people stranded in marooned pockets of Lalitpur and Jhansi districts, which are arid zones but have received a good amount of rainfall this year.