UP rain fury toll rises to 56, 1,021 houses damaged; Opposition attacks govt

At least 56 people have died and 46 have been injured in Uttar Pradesh after 60 hours of continuous rain. The downpour has damaged houses and crops, triggered flash flood alerts and drawn political attacks over waterlogging.

In Short

• Hardoi worst hit with 28 animal deaths and 272 houses damaged
• IMD reports extreme rainfall, forecasts more heavy showers
• Waterlogging disrupts traffic, causes hardship in several districts

At least 56 people have died, and 46 others have been injured in Uttar Pradesh after 60 hours of continuous rainfall, while 107 animals have also been killed and 1,021 houses damaged, according to state government data.

The deaths were reported from several districts, with Sitapur recording seven fatalities, followed by Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich and Balrampur with five each. Ayodhya and Gorakhpur recorded four deaths each.

Among those injured, Hardoi reported seven cases, while Mainpuri, Shravasti and Barabanki recorded five each. Sitapur and Lakhimpur Kheri reported three injuries each.

Hardoi reported the highest number of animal deaths at 28, followed by Sitapur with 16 and Kannauj with 14. Bahraich and Kanpur Dehat recorded seven animal deaths each, while Unnao reported six.

House damage was highest in Hardoi, where 272 houses were damaged. Sitapur reported damage to 108 houses, followed by Chandauli with 75, Auraiya with 60, Gonda with 54, Hamirpur with 51, Shahjahanpur with 47 and Bahraich with 44.

According to weather data, Lucknow recorded 125.8 mm of rainfall in the 21 hours ending Saturday morning. Farrukhabad received 200 times its normal rainfall, while Kanpur Nagar recorded 160 times and Kannauj, Kanpur Dehat and Hardoi recorded 130 times their normal rainfall.

IMD data showed that Banda received 227.6 mm of rainfall, Fatehgarh 224 mm, Nanpara in Bahraich 217 mm, Hardoi 214 mm, Kayamganj in Farrukhabad 210 mm, Hamirpur 210 mm and Kannauj 204 mm in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Saturday.

Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Shravasti, Shahjahanpur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Barabanki and several other districts also received heavy to very heavy rainfall.

The India Meteorological Department had forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at several places in eastern Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, with rain and thundershowers likely at several places on Sunday.

A depression over northeast Madhya Pradesh and adjoining north Chhattisgarh was moving north-northwestwards towards southeast Uttar Pradesh. At 5.30 am on Saturday, the system was centred around 230 km south of Prayagraj.

The system was expected to remain a depression until Saturday evening before weakening into a well-marked low-pressure area over the next 12 hours, the IMD said.

The weather office warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall across several parts of Uttar Pradesh, with isolated extremely heavy rainfall possible in the central Terai region. Some watersheds in central and Terai Uttar Pradesh faced a light to moderate risk of flash floods over the next 24 hours.

The intense rainfall caused waterlogging and traffic disruptions in several areas, while residents of low-lying localities faced difficulties as rain continued through the night.

“Several roads were waterlogged in the morning. Movement became difficult in many places,” local resident Praveen Singh said.

Another resident said strong winds accompanying the rain had added to the difficulties, forcing people to take shelter at several places.

In Ayodhya, rain and strong winds affected movement around Ram Path, the Ram temple, Hanumangarhi, Kanak Bhawan and the Saryu area.

“The rain did not stop people from visiting the temple, but walking around became difficult because of the water and strong wind,” devotee Ramesh Sahu said.

Farmers in rural areas also reported damage to standing crops.

“If the rain and wind continue, more crops could fall, and the losses will increase,” said Pramod Kumar, a farmer in Hardoi.

AKHILESH YADAV TARGETS GOVERNMENT OVER WATERLOGGING

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav shared a video on X showing waterlogging on the Ganga Expressway and suggested renaming it the “Ganga Express Waterway”.

“Rivers of BJP corruption are flowing on the Ganga Expressway. A golden opportunity for those who change names, give it a new name: Ganga Express Waterway. Utterly condemnable!” he wrote.

STATE GOVT SHOULD PROVIDE ASSISTANCE: MAYAWATI

BSP supremo and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on Sunday urged all state governments to provide full assistance at every level to people affected by heavy rains and other natural calamities.

Her remarks came after 10 people were killed and 17 injured in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. Sixty-three districts recorded above-normal rainfall and some areas faced a moderate risk of flash floods, officials said

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