Sitapur Floods: 25,000 Stranded As Submerged Fields And Severed Connectivity Worsen Crisis

Heavy showers and the discharge of enormous amounts of water from nearby barrages have struck around 25,000 villagers in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh. The floods, which gained momentum over the past few days, have been causing vast tracts to become waterlogged, and it had worsened on Monday when the water was further discharged. The Saryu River which was swollen beyond its capacity had come to flood at least 80 villages, causing significant damage to the houses, crops, and all sorts of property.

Widest Ruin And Communication Disrupted
Water in the flood has formed Sitapur into an island as even strong water currents cannot be crossed in approximately 30 villages. The water level at Angraura village is over five feet and the entire area stands nearly incommunicado. Crop destruction has been immense with flooded regions mostly paddy, sugarcane, mentha, and urad cropped areas that have resulted in a tremendous loss for the farmers.

Evacuation And Relief Problems
Villagers are being evacuated to safer places. Some have been evacuated by boat while others went on foot. Key areas include Buchaupurwa, Dhodepurwa, and Lodhanpurwa, which have been more severely hit. In more than 30 villages, water has penetrated into homes; 50 villages remain entirely cut off. Many schools have been affected; connectivity has been badly affected.

Ground Level Observations
As reported by India Today the Niranjan Purwa and Angraura villages to know the extent of damage. Ram Lal said, aged 50, his house and all crops have been severely damaged due to which he has come to higher grounds with others. "I have no other alternative but to stay in the floodwaters," he said. The boats, now their primary mode of transportation, are cut off from clean water, and villagers face a problem.

Government Response And Criticisms
Critics say the Uttar Pradesh state government has handled the whole crisis affair very poorly. The state government claims it is taking measures to control the situation, but people residing here are dissatisfied with that. Relief materials and food packets are yet to reach most of the trapped villagers.