“Between September 25 and the morning of September 27, the state received 66.5 mm of rainfall against the normal 7.6 mm for the period,” the Relief Commissioner said. As many as 56 of the state’s 75 districts recorded excessive rainfall, with Farrukhabad recording 7,385 per cent above normal, followed by Kannauj (5,664 per cent), Shahjahanpur (4,408 per cent), Hamirpur (4,240 per cent) and Mahoba (4,100 per cent).

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Heavy rain was also reported in Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Bareilly and several other parts of the state, accompanied by strong winds reaching 30-40 kmph. Properties were damaged most extensively in Hardie, where 272 houses were affected, followed by Sitapur (108), Chandauli (75), Auraiya (60), Gonda (54), Hamirpur (51), Shahjahanpur (47) and Bahraich (44).

While rescue operation is ongoing in full swing in the affected areas, the Sonik toll plaza on the Ganga Expressway in Unnao was inundated on Sunday. The Ganga Expressway project manager, R S Mishra was quoted as saying by PTI the expressway remained fully operational and traffic movement was normal despite the unusually heavy rainfall. He said there was no waterlogging anywhere on the expressway except at one ramp in Unnao, where drainage had been affected partly due to the relatively low height of a high-tension power line near the ramp.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav shared a video of the waterlogging incident on X and slammed the Uttar Pradesh government suggesting that it be renamed the Ganga Express Waterway. 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.

In a post on X, Mayawati said, “In such difficult natural circumstances, all concerned state governments should provide complete help to the affected people at every level… The state government should not limit itself to formalities but should make efforts to provide proper help to the affected people on the ground and provide immediate relief.”

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Flooding in Bastar

Chhattisgarh’s Bastar witnessed severe flooding triggered by the cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ prompting the rescue of over thousands people and airlifting of 16 citizens on the north bank of the Indravati river near Dongaghat village, the rainfall intensity is likely to reduce significantly on Monday. Light to moderate rainfall is likely in parts of Chhattisgarh and maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to remain around 33°C and 25°C respectively.

In respite, the water level continued to recede and authorities are constantly monitoring the situation, while health personnel remain deployed at the relief camps.

On Sunday, the Indravati river had reportedly crossed its danger mark of 8.3 metres by a wide margin, reaching a peak level of 12.39 metres leading to severe waterlogging in low-lying areas. The water level has gradually started receding since, providing some relief to the administration and residents.

“Several villages in Bastar region across the seven districts have got cut off due to the rains,” said a government official from Jagdalpur. As many as 1,215 people have so far been rescued from flooded and inaccessible areas by the district administration, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and disaster management teams.

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Snowfall and rain likely in Himachal Pradesh

In Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district, the IMD has forecast snowfall in higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh for Monday and rains in middle and lower hills as well as the plains of the state. Precipitation will continue across the state till September 29 after which weather will remain clear till October 3.

National Highway 05 was blocked for vehicular movement after shooting stones and mudflow following heavy rain. According to the district police, continuous rainfall triggered shooting stones and mudflow along the Chaura-Samdo stretch of the highway, leading to the closure of the road. The highway had earlier also been blocked near Tapri due to mudflow, leaving several vehicles stranded and causing inconvenience to commuters.

“Teams from the district administration, police and the Public Works Department (PWD) have been deployed at the affected sites to restore traffic movement. Machinery has been deployed at the site to clear the accumulated muck and remove vehicles stuck on the road near Tapri,” said officials.

With inputs from PTI, Express News Service