Farmer washed away, western Uttar Pradesh declared disaster-hit zone

A farmer was washed away in the overflowing Yamuna river at Dond Kheri village in Muzzafarnagar, police said today.

The mishap occurred yesterday when Mohkam, 27, was returning from his fields and slipped into the river, they said, adding that his body was later recovered.

Two pregnant women, Koshal, 25, and Manju, 26, were rescued from the area flooded by the Ganga and moved to safer places.

District magistrate Santosh Kumar said that these women were shifted from the relief camp to a government hospital after they complained of labour pain, where they delivered their babies.

Hundreds of persons have been rescued from 29 flood-hit villages and are being located to the relief camps, police said.

Chief minister Mayawati conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas yesterday.

Western Uttar Pradesh was declared a disaster-hit zone and a flood relief package of Rs 2000 crore has been sought from the Centre.

The Uttar Pradesh health department has alerted the district authorities to take precautions against the spread of epidemics in 10 flood-affected districts and have declared them 'sensitive', official sources said.

District chief medical officer Dr Anand Swroop said tha the health department has taken precautions to check the spread of diseases after flood waters recede and eight medical teams of doctors have been sent to the affected areas for the purpose.

Chief medical officers of the areas have been asked to prepare mobile medical teams of doctors to check the spread of diseases which can increase after the waters recede.

Some of the worst-affected districts are Muzaffarnagar, Moradabad, Rampur, Bijnore, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shajahanpur, Jotipholanagar, Badayun and Saharanpur.