644 villages in 16 UP districts affected by floods

Lucknow : At least 644 villages in 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh have been inundated with flood waters, according to official sources.

In a statement, Relief Commissioner said that these villages are located in Ambedkar Nagar, Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Bahraich, Ballia, Barabanki, Basti, Deoria, Farrukhabad, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Kushinagar, Mau, Sant Kabir Nagar and Sitapur districts.

Around 300 villages have been completely marooned and their residents evacuated to safer places.

Goyal also said 373 shelter homes and 784 flood outposts have been set up in the state and 414 boats pressed into service to rescue the people.

Twenty-nine teams of the NDRF, SDRF and the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed in the flood-affected districts, the official said.

Several rivers, including the Ganga, Yamuna, Ghaghra, Saryu and Sharda, were flowing above the danger mark in various districts.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, meanwhile, has directed the District Magistrates of the flood-hit districts to conduct an early survey of damage to the crops and expedite compensation to the farmers.