Uttar Pradesh: High alert sounded as Pandu level rises

KANPUR: The district administration has sounded a high alert as the water level of the Pandu river, a tributary of the Ganga, is rising following continuous rainfall since the past 48 hours.
Insisting that the situation was under control, the district administration, however, said all the necessary arrangements have been made to tackle the situation.
“The water level in the Ganga has reached 112.36 metres, which is 65cm below danger mark, but has given rise to water level of Pandu river. As of now we are continuously monitoring the situation,” said an official at the flood control room.
“We have put villages on banks of river Pandu on high alert,” he said.
Officials of the concerned departments, including Kesco, KDA, Nagar Nigam and district supply office have been engaged. They went around the villages in the catchment area of river Pandu alerting people on the possibility of flood. They had also kept ready schools, community welfare centres and wedding halls to relocate people if the water level rises.
“Locals have been advised to move all their cattle or any temporary settlements to safer places. We are watching the weather closely. The rain in the coming days will have an impact on the weather conditions,” said a senior district official.
The district administration has already made adequate arrangements to meet any sort of situation in wake of the heavy rain warning. A contingency plan has been prepared. “A control room is functioning round the clock at the Collectorate. We are fully equipped to deal with any kind of emergency,” said district magistrate Vijay Vishwas Pant.
Two drown: Two persons drowned in the river Ganga at Massacre Ghat under the limits of Cantt police station on Thursday. One of the deceased has been identified as Pintu, 28, of Chamanganj, while the identity of the other deceased could not be ascertained, police said.