In a distressing development in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh, flooding of the river has led to significant erosion, impacting several villages and causing widespread concern.

The incident is of Saryu river of Maypur village in Basti district on August 2.

Visuals showed the rising water levels in the area and the fierce flow of the river. Residents nearby were visibly distressed and anxious about the worsening situation.

According to reports, the situation has become critical as rising water levels of the Saryu river have intensified erosion. Standing crops are being washed away, and there is growing anxiety over the shortage of fodder for livestock.

Villagers in Madarhwa, a revenue village of Maypur south of the Kudraha area embankment, were taken aback by the severe erosion on Friday. The Saryu river’s aggressive stream has absorbed peepal, mango, and bamboo pegs, and the bridge, constructed at significant expense, is now at risk of being swept away.

Reportedly, the water level of the Saryu river has been fluctuating, with the Central Water Commission Ayodhya office recording it at 92.570 meters at 4 pm on Friday, just 16 centimeters below the danger mark of 92.730 meters. Since around 2 pm, the water level has stabilized, but the flood section on the embankment remains under heightened vigilance.

In nearby Suvikha Babu, part of Dubauliya area, residents are grappling with flooding that has made roads impassable and heightened the problem of cattle fodder. The sensitive Kataria-Chandpur embankment is under intense pressure from the river.