Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said the recurring flood problem in Farrukhabad could be addressed by dredging and channelising the Ganga, with the silt removed from the river being used to strengthen embankments.
The chief minister conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit Sadar, Kaimganj and Amritpur tehsils. “Ganga is shallow here and wherever the water is shallow, the spread of water is greater. “This will protect villages from flooding, keep crops safe, and ensure that people do not have to suffer this hardship every year. This is the sole solution. Adityanath also directed officials to survey crop losses caused by the floods and send assistance to affected farmers through direct benefit transfer once the survey report was received. He asked the administration and the public works department to begin repairing damaged roads as soon as the floodwater receded.
Flooding has affected 102 villages in the district.
This is what causes flooding,” Adityanath said, adding that dredging the river and channelising it was the sole solution to the problem. He said the administration should begin preparations for the dredging work. If land belonging to farmers was required for the project, they would be given proper compensation, he said.
I am here in Farrukhabad today especially to begin this work,” he said.
The kits contain flour, rice, potatoes, pulses, oil, gram and other essential items. He added that relief camps, flood outposts and a 24-hour control room were operating in the district.
Adityanath said the government was providing 50kg relief kits to families able to remain in their homes. The chief minister said medicines, anti-snake venom and anti-rabies vaccines had been stocked at hospitals and health centres in flood-affected areas.
