The Uttar Pradesh government has issued a flood alert as water levels of major rivers continued to rise due to incessant rain in the state. The death toll in rain related incidents rose to 22.

According to official sources, on Tuesday water levels of several major rivers including the Ghaghra, Rapti, Kuano, Sharda and the Yamuna were rising along their course in the state. Large tracts of land have been inundated in several districts.

Flood waters have entered several villages in Meerut, Amroha, Saharanpur, Bijnore, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Pilibhit, Baharaich, Gonda and Lakhimpur Kheri affecting normal lives. Thousands of people were forced to shift to safer areas.

The situation had worsened following release of water from several reservoirs. Discharge from rivers in Nepal has only added to the woes, the officials said.Principal Secretary Deepak Singhal said that a high alert had been sounded and directives were issued to take all necessary measures. He also said that officials were keeping a close eye on the embankments and taking measures to prevent breaches. Officials said that heavy rains in neighbouring Uttarakhand caused the rise in the water levels of the Ganga and Yamuna.

Meanwhile, the death toll in rain related incidents in the state has gone up to 22 with seven more people reported dead in the last 24 hours, sources said. Three people were killed in Maharajganj after being struck by lightning, while one person was killed in Muzaffarnagar district. Two youths were killed in Faizabad district after walls of their house collapsed.