Shahjahanpur: As many as 13 villages in flood hit Sadar tehsil of Lakhimpur Kheri district have lost road connectivity with the district headquarters with Sharda and Ghaghra rivers overflowing.Although floodwater has not entered residential areas, it has inundated agricultural fields in all 13 villages.The district administration has arranged for boats and relief kits, including food items, medicines, oil, Chlorine tablets for purifying drinking water, Tarpaulin, etc, for the displaced villagers.Besides, officials are regularly visiting the flood-affected areas and vaccination of villagers against various vector-borne diseases is also being carried out.Lakhimpur Sadar SDM Arun Kumar Singh told TOI, “The condition in Lakhimpur is better than previous years owing to the district administration’s effort. The irrigation department is using sandbags and bamboos to minimise soil erosion due to increased water levels in Sharda and Ghaghra. The affected villages come under flood plain zone, and are always prone to floods.”All 40 villages of Sadar tehsil and 37 villages of Palia that fall under the flood plain zone are hit by flood every year. Besides, the rise in the water level of Mohana river creates flood like situation in Tikunia, while a few villages in Dhaurahra are prone to flood as well.The most affected village is Keharia Kalan, where there are no roads as the village remains surrounded by water for most part of the year. The administration offered agricultural land and houses to the residents of this village, but they refused to relocate.The administration has deployed five boats at the village to ensure swift movement of people to safer places in case the water level in Sharda is dangerously high.In villages such as Kardiya Manpur, Ghuum, Sindhia, among others, floodwater has destroyed crops. Revenue department teams are conducting survey of the flooded areas to estimate loss suffered by the farmers.Singh said, “Flood centres are functioning actively and all required facilities are available there. Although floodwater has not entered residential areas, we are fully prepared to shift villagers to safer places anytime. We are having updates after every hour, and 42 rescue boats are ready along with expert divers and national disaster response force to deal with any situation. We have provided medicines and ration kits to all affected villages. Approximately ten thousand people are affected by flood in Sadar tehsil.”

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