Noida, 12 Jul: Over 300 cattle, including calves, living in two separate cowsheds were evacuated to safety as water from the Yamuna overflowed into land along the river in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, adjoining Delhi, on Wednesday, officials said.
While the water has not yet entered into any village or human settlement, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration has issued an advisory, cautioning people in low-lying areas against venturing near the swollen Yamuna, which was flowing above the danger mark in Delhi, they said.
According to Irrigation Department officials, the Yamuna was flowing at the 200-metre mark — a little shy of hitting the danger level of 200.60 metres — at the Okhla barrage in Noida.
District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma said water from the Yamuna overflowed into lands near the Gulawali area and people in low-lying areas have been advised to be prepared to move to safer locations in case it is required in coming days.
Some cattle that were caught in the water in the area of Chhaproli and Mangroli villages have been rescued, he said, adding there has been no human displacement here due to the overflowing Yamuna so far.
“Embankments are in place along the Yamuna and, so far, water has not entered into the human population area. However, an advisory has been issued to (people of) the villages near the Yamuna to avoid venturing near the river and be prepared to move to safer locations in case the water level rises further,” Verma told PTI.
“We also have ‘baadh chowki (flood posts)’ set up at several locations where people can move to in case of any trouble due to the water. The officials are monitoring the situation and doing the needful,” the IAS officer said.
Chief Fire Officer Pradeep Kumar Choubey said 385 cattle were stuck at two cowsheds in Noida’s Sector 168 and over 300 of them were rescued by Wednesday evening.
“There were 135 cattles in one shelter and 250 in the other. The fire service unit was deployed around 12 pm and, by evening, we rescued over 300 cattle from the submerged areas with the help of 35 firefighters,” Choubey, who oversaw the rescue operation at the ground, told PTI.
Later in the evening, personnel of the State Disaster Response Force reached the spot and took over the rescue work as more than 50 cattles were still to be moved to safety, he added. (PTI)
Meanwhile, district administration officials said a flood control room has been set up and people can call it at 0120-2974274 and 9811363725 for assistance. (PTI)