Lucknow, Aug 28:
Authorities in Uttar Pradesh have sounded a high alert in districts bordering Nepal and stepped up monitoring of vulnerable rivers following devastating flash floods in the neighbouring Himalayan nation.
Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts have been placed under close watch, with officials monitoring the Gandak and other rivers and water channels receiving inflows from Nepal.
The Nepal disaster was triggered after an ice-rock landslide blocked a river near the country’s border with China, leading to widespread flooding. The disaster has killed at least 177 people and left hundreds missing, according to reports.
In Maharajganj, senior officials have been deployed in vulnerable riverine areas to monitor the Gandak, Darjaniya, Tail Fall and other water channels. Villages along riverbanks and low-lying areas are being closely watched, with evacuation plans kept ready.
In Kushinagar, District Magistrate Mahendra Singh Tanwar and Superintendent of Police Keshav Kumar inspected vulnerable villages and the Valmikinagar barrage as water levels in the Gandak, locally known as Narayani, came under close scrutiny.
Authorities in other border districts, including Lakhimpur Kheri, Gonda and Bahraich, have also been asked to remain alert. Rescue teams and disaster response personnel have been kept on standby.
Residents have been advised to avoid going near rivers, follow official warnings and not believe rumours.