CM Yogi reaches ground zero in Kushinagar flood-hit villages
Kushinagar, September 29: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reached ground zero on Tuesday to inspect the situation and help the affected people of the flood-hit villages after a part of the AP embankment of the Narayani river near Tatwa Tola of Dayal (Chain Patti) in Kushinagar district broke late on Monday night due to excess water coming from Nepal.
During this, the Chief Minister met the flood victims, distributed lunch packets and relief material and assured everyone that the government is standing with them in this hour of disaster. The Chief Minister also directed the Water Power Minister and the Principal Secretary of the Irrigation Department to carry out dredging and channelization of the Narayani River once the situation returns to normal, ensuring the safety of the embankment and surrounding villages.
Since learning of the breach on Monday night, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been monitoring the situation and providing directives to officials. On Tuesday, immediately after the condolence meeting for the late Mahant Digvijay Nath Maharaj at the Gorakhnath Temple, he arrived at the scene.
He conducted an aerial survey and inspected the areas affected by the breach. He visited villages along the embankment and met with villagers. He distributed lunch packets and chocolates to children among those sheltering on higher ground. He then visited the Inter College, Bedupar, in the Sevarhi area, where he shared the grief of the flood-affected people and distributed relief materials. He assured them that the government stands with them in this hour of crisis.
While distributing the relief materials, the Chief Minister noted that after four days of torrential rain, various areas of the state and the country have faced tragedy. Four days passed somehow, but heavy rainfall in Nepal caused a massive surge of water. Normally, the Narayani River receives three to four lakh cusecs of water, but yesterday, it suddenly surged to five and a half lakh cusecs. This flooded several villages along the AP embankment.
Yogi stated that as soon as the information was received, massive rescue and relief operations were immediately initiated. Two teams each from the NDRF and SDRF, along with a PAC flood unit, have been deployed. Administration and Irrigation Department officials have been engaged in relief and rescue operations since yesterday. State Water Power Minister Swatantra Dev Singh also arrived last night. Member of Parliament from Deoria, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Member of Parliament from Kushinagar, Vijay Dubey, and MLAs Dr. Asim Kumar and Surendra Kushwaha are also actively involved in providing assistance.
He stated that the government stands with all the victims in this hour of disaster. He said that 5,000 packets of relief material have been arranged for the victims. This relief material contains 35 items, including 10 kg of rice, 10 kg of flour, 2 kg of lentils, potatoes, gram flour, oil, spices, salt, and a bucket, weighing 50 kg.
He said that the government has decided to provide comprehensive assistance and an immediate compensation of ₹4 lakh for the loss of life. Those whose houses have been completely destroyed have been ordered to be immediately provided with new housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or the Chief Minister’s Housing Scheme. Those whose damaged houses are repairable will also receive funds for repairs.
The Chief Minister stated that there is a possibility of large-scale damage to crops such as paddy, sugarcane, and vegetables in 15-16 villages. The administration has been instructed to conduct a survey and provide compensation within 10 days. Instructions have also been given to repair roads damaged due to the floods. He said that once the situation normalizes, instructions have been given to strengthen the AP embankment to prevent it from breaching again.
The Chief Minister said that the Chief Medical Officer has been instructed to organize continuous medical camps in the area for the next 5-6 days to prevent waterborne diseases. He also directed that all PSCs and CSCs immediately provide anti-snake venom and anti-rabies vaccines. The Chief Minister stated that every person’s life is important to us.
He also directed the Water Power Minister and Principal Secretary for Irrigation to ensure that the Narayani River is dressed and channelized once the situation normalizes. This will allow the river to carve its own path and make the area safe. Present with the Chief Minister on this occasion were State Water Power Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, Deoria MP Shashank Mani Tripathi, Kushinagar MP Vijay Dubey, MLAs Dr Asim Kumar, Surendra Chaurasia, and others.
