The flood situation in the Gorakhpur and Basti divisions worsened on Thursday as the Saryu, Rapti, Gorra and Rohin rivers continued to rise, crossing danger marks at several locations. Fresh breaches in embankments in Kushinagar and seepage in vulnerable structures in Deoria raised concerns, while floodwaters inundated residential areas, submerged agricultural land and disrupted road connectivity.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) personnel, assisted by local administration teams, evacuated stranded residents to safer locations. Boats were deployed in affected areas as several villages were cut off by floodwaters, forcing residents to depend on boats for movement. The river was also rising at Barhaj in Deoria, Turtipar in Ballia and Chandrdeep Ghat in Gonda. “Both the Saryu and Rapti are flowing above the danger level and the water level is still rising.
The Saryu was flowing at around 107 metres at Elgin Bridge, nearly a metre above the warning level. At Ayodhya, it was steady at around 92.7 metres, slightly above the danger mark. The rising Rapti and Saryu rivers affected around 35 villages in Gorakhpur, with floodwaters entering residential areas and disrupting road connectivity, officials said on Thursday. Additional district magistrate (finance/revenue) Jai Prakash said Barhalganj was among the worst-affected areas, with around 30 villages inundated. Nearly 40 boats have been deployed for movement and relief operations.
The administration is continuously monitoring the affected areas and taking necessary measures,” he said. Most major rivers in the region were rising on Thursday morning, according to the Central Water Commission (CWC).
Six government primary schools have also been closed. The Rapti inundated parts of Bahrampur in Gorakhpur city, prompting the administration to bring seven steamers from Prayagraj for rescue and relief operations. The district administration intensified surveillance of vulnerable embankments and deployed teams to monitor sensitive points amid rising water levels.
SDM Gola Manish Kumar said several villages along the Sarayu and the Rapti had been surrounded by floodwaters. The flood situation in Maharajganj remained a concern on Thursday as the Rohin river reached the danger mark and the Rapti continued to rise.
