17 UP districts reel under flood fury; Ganga flows above danger mark in Varanasi, Prayagraj

Residents wade through floodwaters in the Jalwanpura area of Ayodhya as the Saryu river overflows following heavy rains in the district.

Continuous heavy rain over the past two days has caused a flood-like situation in at least 17 districts of Uttar Pradesh, forcing thousands of families to leave their homes. According to officials, districts including Varanasi, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Jhansi, Agra, Kanpur Dehat, and Kanpur Nagar have been badly affected, The Indian Express reported.

So far, 694 villages in 40 tehsils and 92 municipal wards have been impacted by rising waters. At least five rivers, including the Ganga and Yamuna, are flowing above the danger mark, while several others are swollen due to nonstop rainfall over the last 50 hours. Officials confirmed that at least 12 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents.

Schools in most of the affected districts, including Lucknow, have been shut as a safety measure. The Ganga, Yamuna, and Chambal rivers have flooded hundreds of houses, cutting off road access to many villages.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Residents wade through floodwaters in the Jalwanpura area of Ayodhya as the Saryu river overflows following heavy rains in the district. pic.twitter.com/fW3MrxOmOr

— ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2025

Rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed in the worst-hit areas.

Rainfall above normal

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Uttar Pradesh has received 4% more rain than average so far. In the 24 hours leading up to Sunday night, the state recorded 14.2 mm of rain, compared to the normal 7.2 mm for this period. At least 24 districts have received excess rainfall, with Chitrakoot, Pratapgarh, Varanasi, and Bhadohi getting more than 55 mm. Lucknow recorded 18 mm of rainfall against its usual 8.6 mm.

The IMD has also warned of more bad weather, forecasting thunderstorms with lightning and heavy to very heavy rain in isolated places.

Widespread impact across districts

The list of affected districts includes Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, Lakhimpur Kheri, Agra, Auraiya, Chitrakoot, Ballia, Banda, Ghazipur, Mirzapur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Chandauli, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Etawah, and Fatehpur. Officials said more than 350 houses have been damaged, and the total affected population has crossed one lakh.

Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Kanpur divisions are among the worst hit. In Varanasi, floodwaters from the Ganga have entered the streets, submerging the famous Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats. With cremation grounds underwater, last rites are being performed on elevated platforms and even in nearby streets. Most of the city’s 84 ghats are now submerged.

The famed Ganga ‘aarti’ at the Dashashwamedh ghat is now being conducted on rooftops, while cremations at Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats are being performed on elevated platforms.

In nearby Ballia, floodwaters have spread across villages, while paddy fields in Ghazipur and Chandauli are completely submerged. In Prayagraj, the Ganga and Yamuna rivers have risen over 50 cm above the danger mark at Naini, Phaphamau, and Chhatnag, flooding over 107 municipal wards. Thousands have been moved to safer areas, and 18 relief camps are now sheltering 7,500 people from 1,747 families.

The administration has deployed 168 boats and one motorboat for rescue and relief work. Ballia and Ghazipur have also reported the Ganga flowing above the danger mark, while the Yamuna is overflowing in Auraiya, Jalaun, Hamirpur, and Banda. The Betwa River is above danger levels in Hamirpur.

CM sets up special team to oversee flood management 

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has set up a special “Team 11” of ministers, each assigned to oversee flood management and relief in specific districts. The ministers, including Nanda Gopal Gupta, Swatantra Dev Singh, Sanjay Gangwar, Pratibha Shukla, Ramkesh Nishad, Jaiveer Singh, Suresh Khanna, Sanjay Nishad, Dharamveer Prajapati, Ajit Pal, and Daya Shankar, have already reached their designated areas.

Between August 2 and August 3, officials reported two deaths from drowning, one from a storm, and two from heavy rain. The toll is expected to rise if the rains continue.