Incessant heavy rains have caused rivers to overflow in Bijnor district of India’s Uttar Pradesh state.

Floodwaters of Kho River have entered nearby villages and disrupted daily life.

Houses in nearby villages have collapsed due to heavy flow of water. Local residents are battling to survive and save their goods.

One resident has been suffering with the flood situation for nearly ten days.

[Gayatri Devi, Resident of Navalpur Village]: (female, Hindi)
“There are still floodwaters in the village and we are facing so many problems while cooking. It rains daily and we are not able to cook because of that. How do we cook? Everything gets wet in the rain water.”

Locals say floodwater has not only ruined their houses but has also eroded their cultivated lands.

Floodwaters have destroyed hundreds of acres of land with sugarcane crops.

Meanwhile, local authorities claim the villages are safe.

[Ramsewak Dwivedi, Addl. District Magistrate]: (male, Hindi)
“The river spreads from about 150-400 meters. In the construction done by the irrigation department, they had used boulders. The boulders ensure the safety of the region from floods. A warning was announced that the locals should be careful and watchful, and if the situation gets worse then they will be shifted to a safer place.”

While a good monsoon is vital to India's farm sector, heavy rains and runoff lead to floods and outbreak of diseases.