Pilibhit: The release of 2.16 lakh cusecs of water into river Sharda from Banbasa barrage (Uttarakhand) has inundated the low lying agricultural fields of 10 villages in Pilibhit. According to locals, the flood water has submerged around 800 to 900 acres of sugarcane crop, which is feared to get damaged if water logging continues for a week.Pilibhit’s executive engineer of flood division Shailaesh Kumar on Friday said the water level of Sharda river stands at 76,000 cusecs.“The flood-like situation will remain in low lying areas of the affected villages,” he said.In view of the pen-down strike of Lekhpals across the state, the district magistrate, Akhilesh Kumar Mishra, took a drastic decision on Friday evening to compensate the flood relief work of 303 Lekhpals in Pilibhit.“I have ordered to deploy inspectors, assistant and the junior engineers of excise, agriculture produce marketing committees, food, mining and both the divisions of PWD in flood affected areas to assist the flood relief operations,” he said while adding that the duties would come in effect with immediate effect.Mishra also said that on Thursday he sent a letter to state government requesting one company of provincial armed constabulary (PAC) and state disaster response force (SDRF).Among the villages that have been affected by the discharge include — Ranapratap Nagar, Rajiv Nagar, Nahrosa, Nahrosa Gautia, Kuthia Gundia, Vijay Nagar, Kabirganj, Shrinagar, Gorakh Dibbi and Dhuria Palia.Pradhan of Nahrosa village Shamsuddin alias Shambhu told TOI that the causeway near Ranpratap Nagar village is still submerged under two-feet water.The water was discharged from Banbasa at 4 pm on Wednesday and it took around six hours to reach Pilibhit district.

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