Drought and floods hit Uttar Pradesh in tandem

In unprecedented climatic conditions, the Bundelkhand area faces drought conditions, while central areas of the state reel under floods caused by breaches in dams.

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh is facing a climatic paradox. While several districts in one part of the state are inundated by floods, another part of the state faces a severe drought. Such freak weather conditions have never been experienced at least in the past two decades.

The floods have claimed more than 50 lives in UP so far. At the same time, as many as 23 districts are facing drought conditions, mainly in the arid Bundelkhand area. In stark contrast, almost a dozen districts, mainly in central and eastern UP, have been flooded with the swirling waters of the Rapti, Saryu and Ghaghra.

At least seven farmers have committed suicide over the past two months due to penury in the Bundelkhand area which has received extremely deficient rains this year.

This would seem incredible for the lakhs of people marooned in hundreds of villages in central UP districts like Barabanki and Bahraich where dams have been breached by high velocity water currents. A senior Irrigation Department official told DNA that the main reason for this was the water released from Nepal into Indian territory.

For its part, the government has stopped recovery of government dues from farmers in the affected districts. But that may not be enough to wipe the tears of the farmers facing the extremities of the weather.