A sharp rise in the water levels of major rivers including Rapti, Sarju (Ghaghra), Gandak and Rohni has put authorities in the Gorakhpur division on high alert. The Rapti River alone has recorded a 45 centimeters increase in the past 24 hours, raising serious concerns among residents living along the riverbanks.

On Tuesday, villagers from Bagha Dewar in Barhalganj tehsil were advised to relocate to the flood relief camp set up at Patna Ghat in Barhalganj town. The primary school in the village has also been temporarily shut down as a precautionary measure.

ADM (finance and revenue) Vineet Kumar Singh, accompanied by executive engineer of irrigation Vaibhav Singh, visited the village and informed that 83 families have been advised to take shelter in the relief camp.

District disaster management officer Gautam Gupta reported that in Bardaghat, Gorakhpur, the Rapti River was flowing at 71.55 metres — around 3.70 metres below the danger mark — while in Balrampur, it was just 1 metre below the danger level. Similarly, the Badi Gandak and Rohni rivers were reported to be flowing about 1 meter below the danger level in Khadda town (Kushinagar district) and at Tirmuhani Ghat.

However, the rising Ghaghra River has already crossed the Algin Bridge and was flowing at 106 metres — about 40 cm above the danger mark. In Ayodhya, the Ghaghra (Sarju) continues to rise and has nearly touched the danger mark in Barhaj town of Deoria district, significantly increasing the flood risk.