With four more losing their lives due to heavy rains in Azamgarh district, the toll in flood-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh went up to 67 on Saturday. Relief and rescue operations are on in full swing by army and Public Accounts Committee personnel, official sources said.
With no fresh rainfall being reported from anywhere, water level has started receding in almost all the major rivers although Ganga at Ballia and Ghaghra at Ayodhya and Turtipar are still flowing above the danger mark, the sources said.
Communication links with Azamgarh still remained disrupted, the sources said adding that there were reports of water inundating the low-lying areas of Mau, Basti, Kabirnagar and Faizabad.
A report from Mau said several localities were submerged following a breach in an embankment near the city. The Mau-Ballia road has been cut off from the rest of the district headquarters, reports said adding that efforts were on to pump out water from low-lying areas.
State revenue commissioner Renuka Kumar will visit the worst hit areas to take stock of the situation.
State Irrigation Minister Munna Singh Chauhan on Saturday took an aerial survey of the eastern region to assess the losses. Though the situation is now improving in Azamgarh, several areas of Mau were submerged, Chauhan said directives had been issued to provide all facilities in the flood affected areas.
