Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 27 (ANI): Heavy downpours lashed several parts of Uttar Pradesh, causing severe urban flooding, disrupting normal life and resulting in at least four weather-related fatalities.
Continuous rains triggered by an active depression over the region inundated large parts of Gorakhpur, while BJP Member of Parliament Ravi Kishan inspected waterlogged streets and assessed the situation on the ground.
District Magistrate and Collector of Gorakhpur, Deepak Meena, stated that four people lost their lives across the district in separate tree-collapse incidents. In Campierganj, three individuals died after a tree crashed onto a hut in which they were sheltering.
“Given the nature of the depression that formed, warnings had been issued for heavy torrential rain and lightning strikes across East Uttar Pradesh, West Uttar Pradesh, and almost all other areas...Three people lost their lives in Campierganj,” Deepak Meena told ANI.
The District Magistrate stated that administration teams have been mobilised across all tehsils and blocks to respond to the situation and provide assistance to affected residents.
"The Chief Minister has issued strict directives to ensure immediate action and provide all possible support to affected families without delay," Meena said, adding that ambulances have been deployed at all blocks and tehsils to prevent any delays..."
Detailing the tragic incidents, DM noted, “The victims in Campierganj lost their lives when "They were sitting inside a hut when a tree fell on it. They were sitting inside a hut when a tree fell on it. Additionally, one person died in Bansgaon after being struck by a falling tree, bringing the total death toll to four.”
Elaborating further on the casualties and the state's response, DM Meena added, “procedures, including post-mortems and the provision of financial assistance mandated for natural calamities, as well as assistance under other government schemes, are being carried out.”
The prolonged waterlogging also caused significant inconvenience to residents and shopkeepers in several areas. One local resident said the drainage system had failed to clear the accumulated water despite several hours of rainfall.
"We have never faced a situation like the one we are experiencing today. It used to rain in the past as well, and while water would accumulate, it would drain away within an hour or so; today, however, it has been 4–5 hours, and the water remains exactly where it was. It is entirely the Municipal Corporation's responsibility to address this issue effectively...there is water everywhere, and shopkeepers are distressed; they are forced to bail out the water with buckets. The Municipal Corporation alone is responsible for this," a local told ANI.
In response to the public outcry, BJP MP Ravi Kishan inspected waterlogged areas and described the intensity of the rainfall as unprecedented, while stating that the administration had made preparations to deal with the situation.
Assessing the receding water levels, Kishan said that established drainage channels would help clear the accumulated water once the rainfall subsided.
"The water is now receding. If the rain stops for two or three hours, the accumulated water will certainly drain away. There are established drainage channels, and the water will flow out through them. The intensity of this rainfall was unprecedented. No one had witnessed such heavy rain in the last 15–19 years. It was almost like a cloudburst. The entire city was inundated, but the water is now receding from many areas. If it does not rain for the next few hours, even more water will drain away. The administration is always prepared...We have made all the necessary preparations, and we are praying to Mahadev that the rain stops. If it does, the city will return to normal in all areas within a day or two," Ravi Kishan told ANI.
Meanwhile, the adverse weather also impacted the state capital, where a portion of the historic Husainabad Gate in Lucknow collapsed under the stress of continuous rain, prompting immediate traffic restrictions in the vicinity.
On Saturday, schools in several districts of Uttar Pradesh were closed in view of heavy rainfall and weather warnings, with authorities citing the safety of students. (ANI)
"Almost like cloudburst": Torrential rains leave four dead in UP; Ravi Kishan inspects waterlogged streets in Gorakhpur
