More than 200 villages have been inundated in Bareilly and Moradabad divisions due to floods even as seven trains have been cancelled in the region.
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 to Bareilly after failing to land due to bad weather,” officials said on Monday. “Helicopters will be sent 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 the Central Water Commission report, the Ramganga was swelling by 2 cm by every hour.
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 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 that villages in Sahaswan, Junawai, Kachla and Dataganj areas located alongside the Ganga be evicted.
In Rampur, two lakh people have been affected due to the floods.
“The capacity of the Kosi 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.
All the educational institutions in the area will remain closed for next three days, he said, adding that around 10 motor boats from Bhatinda would reach Monday to help with relief operations.
