Flood victims got dry bread before 2017: UP CM attacks Samajwadi Party

Uttar Pradesh continued to grapple with the flood-like situation as flooding persisted in 25 districts, and 37 districts affected by it, according to the state’s Relief Commissioner’s Officer on Sunday. With relief and rescue operations intensifying, 19,454 people have been evacuated so far and 8,264 on Sunday alone, according to the state government.

The government has so far reported no human or cattle casualties. On Sunday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Chitrakoot — one of the flood-hit districts to review the relief work and promised government assistance to affected families within 24 hours.

He directed officials to expedite relief and rehabilitation measures as the swelling Mandakini river continued to affect parts of the district. After conducting an aerial survey and inspecting Ramghat, Adityanath distributed relief material among 800 families.

He also handed over cheques of Rs 1.20 lakh each to three families whose houses had been completely destroyed and land allotment certificates to two beneficiaries. The chief minister said families whose houses had been completely destroyed by floods or fire would be provided new houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, subject to eligibility.

Those outside the eligibility criteria would be considered under the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana, along with land allotment, he said. The CM termed the recent flooding “unprecedented”, noting that rainfall nearly doubled last year’s 360 mm.

The deluge also washed away a permanent bridge critical for heavy vehicles’s journey toward Madhya Pradesh. “If even a strong bridge can be washed away, one can easily imagine the condition of ordinary houses,” he said. According to Adityanath, only one State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was initially deployed in Chitrakoot, but within two to three hours, eight companies of SDRF, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) units were engaged in rescue and relief operations.

The CM targeted the previous Samajwadi Party government over its handling of floods, alleging that victims were earlier given inadequate relief. “Before 2017, when floods occurred, the government of the time did not even take cognizance of them.

When there was a lot of outcry, victims were merely given dry bread in the name of relief, while all the money intended for relief was swallowed by SP goons,” he alleged. Recalling inspection of flood relief operations in 2017, Adityanath said he had asked officials what was being given to affected families and was told that “dry bread” was being provided.

“If you are given only dry bread for 10 days, will you be able to survive? If you cannot, then why should our people?” he claimed. Adityanath said that officials distributed 50 kg relief kits packed with 26 essential items – including rice, flour, potatoes, pulses, oil, and spices.

Additionally, families received dignity kits containing practical supplies like buckets, mugs, and raincoats. “While flood victims previously did not receive even one kilogram of relief material, approximately 50 kilograms of relief material are now being provided,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to the Relief Commissioner’s Officer, the 25 districts where flooding persists are Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Bahraich, Badaun, Ballia, Barabanki, Basti, Chandauli, Farrukhabad, Ghazipur, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Hardoi, Kasganj, Kanpur Nagar, Lakhimpur Kheri, Mirzapur, Moradabad, Prayagraj, Raebareli, Rampur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Shahjahanpur, Unnao and Varanasi.

At least 2,075 boats and motorboats have been deployed for active rescue and relief missions, and 1,315 flood shelters that provide housing for 6,698 displaced citizens have been set up, said officials. On the health front, 1,072 medical teams have been formed, distributing over 6.47 lakh chlorine tablets and 2.49 lakh ORS packets to prevent waterborne diseases.

Sunday alone, over 5.94 lakh lunch packets and 1.03 lakh comprehensive relief kits were sent out, including 63,955 lunch packets and 11,249 food packets delivered. Out of 1,272 houses reported damaged by the rising waters, immediate government financial assistance has been successfully extended in 1,002 cases, officials said.

Maulshree Seth is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, based in Lucknow. With over 15 years of experience in mainstream journalism, she has built a formidable reputation for her on-ground reporting across Uttar Pradesh.

Her expertise spans a wide array of critical beats, including state politics, governance, the judiciary, and rural development. Authoritativeness Maulshree’s work is characterized by depth and historical context. Her coverage of high-stakes state elections and landmark judicial rulings has established her as an authoritative voice on the intersection of law and politics in Northern India.

She is frequently recognized for her ability to gain access to primary sources and for her nuanced understanding of the socio-economic factors that drive the world's most populous sub-national entity. Trustworthiness & Ethical Journalism Her reporting is rooted in rigorous fact-checking and a steadfast dedication to neutral, unbiased storytelling.

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