200 villages inundated in Bareilly and Moradabad due to floods

Officials said Indian Air Force helicopters sent from Bareilly to carry out rescue and relief operations in Bijnore and Uttarakhand could not land at the two places due to inclement weather.

"Air Force helicopters were sent to carry out relief and rescue work in Bijnore and Uttarakhand, but they returned back to Bareilly after failing to land due to bad weather," officials said on Monday.

"Helicopters will be send again later in the day," they said.

Vehicular movement on National Highway 24, connecting Delhi with Lucknow, which was closed on Saturday night after its section near Moradabad division was flooded, would remain suspended till September 22, they said.

More than 200 villages in Bareilly and Moradabad have been hit by floods due to incessant rain and release of water in Ramganga and Kosi rivers from Kalagarh, Naraura, Behgul, Nand Sagar and Dhaura dams, they said.

While more than 10 people were killed in rain and flood-related incidents in the last few hours, seven trains were cancelled due to floods.

According to Central Water Commission report, Ramganga was swelling by 2 cm by every hour.

PAC has been called to carry out rescue and relief work in flood hit areas as one dozen villages have been disconnected from the headquarters, District Magistrate Ajay Chauhan said.

Water seeped on roads on all the four sides of Pilibhit district after around four lakh cusec water was released in Devaha river, officials said.

The Ganga river was flowing one metre above danger mark in Badaun district after five lakh cusec water was released from the Naraura dam.

The district administration has directed to evict villages in Sahaswan, Junawai, Kachla and Dataganj areas located alongside Ganga.

Meanwhile, in Rampur, two lakh people have been affected due to floods.

"The capacity of the Kosi river was 35,000 cusecs of water. With two lakh cusecs of water being released into it, unprecedented devastation has been caused," District Magistrate of Rampur T N Singh said.

According to officials, national disaster society has dispatched teams of ITBP jawans to assist district administration to help in relief and rescue work.

All the educational institutions in the area will remain closed for next three days, he said, adding that around 10 motor boats from Bhatinda will reach today for the relief operations.