With rain-related incidents leaving three people dead and causing damage to crops in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed officials to carry out relief and rescue operations with full urgency.
He directed district officials to visit affected areas, assess damage to crops and livestock, and ensure that relief is distributed immediately to those affected by lightning strikes, rain-related mishaps, or storm damage.
Adityanath also ordered a detailed crop damage assessment and instructed officials to submit their reports to the state government promptly so that further steps could be taken for compensation. In urban and low-lying areas facing waterlogging, he asked officials to prioritise drainage efforts.
At least three people, including a 17-year-old girl, were killed and several injured in separate incidents when lightning struck large parts of the state on Friday morning.
The dead include two labourers working on a road project under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Firozabad. A family trying to cover a haystack with a tarpaulin sheet to protect it from rain was also hit. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rain and thunderstorms in several parts of the state over the next two days.
According to the IMD, west Uttar Pradesh is likely to witness rain and thundershowers at a few places on May 3 and 4, accompanied by strong surface winds of 25-35 km/hr and gusty winds reaching 40-50 km/hr at isolated locations.
In east Uttar Pradesh, isolated rains are expected on May 3 and more widespread showers on May 4. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds (30-50 km/hr) are also likely during this period.
The IMD has advised residents to stay alert and take precautions in view of the expected weather disturbances.