At least eight persons, among them five children, reportedly died in the districts of Faizabad, Bahraich and Lakhimpur Kheri in the floods caused by heavy rains and the release of water from the barrages in Nepal.

Flood waters have also entered villages in Shrawasti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Kushinagar and Maharajganj districts of eastern UP.

According to officials, five lakh cusecs of water has been released on Tuesday and Wednesday from Banbasa and other Nepalese barrages situated at the border.

Faizabad District Magistrate M P Agrawal confirmed that two persons, including a child, drowned in flood waters. “About a dozen villages in the low-lying areas of Sadar tehsil are badly affected. We have pressed into service 24 boats for the evacuation of villagers,” SDM Sadar M N Upadhyay said.

“According to reports, there have been some incidents of drowning and house collapses in Mahsi town,” Bahraich DM Subash Sharma said.

In Bahraich district, rivers flowing in spate have inundated as many as 185 villages, affecting nearly three lakh people.

In Lakhimpur Kheri, three children were reported to have drowned. “Three children drowned in Palia town in Lakhimpur, where as many as 200 villages have been affected by floods,” said District Magistrate Sameer Verma.

According to officials in Shrawasti district, Rapti and Saryu rivers are flowing above the danger mark.

The situation is more or less similar in Ghagra river in Sitapur district, Rapti in Sant Kabir Nagar, Gandak in Kushinagar and Rohni in Maharajganj.

Maya writes to PM on flood situation
Chief Minister Mayawati has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to initiate talks with the Nepal government for a permanent solution to the flood problem. In her letter, she has said information on monsoon should be shared between the two countries. Mayawati has said the state gets information on the rains and water level from only eight hydro meteorological stations, whereas 42 such stations have been set up by the Central Water Commission in areas in the Indo-Nepal border. ens