Agra, Mathura badly hit as Yamuna water rises

AGRA - The water level in the Yamuna river continued to rise in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra and Mathura districts, cutting off dozens of villages and inundating agricultural fields. Water also entered the moat of the magnificent, 16th century Agra Fort and the Kailash temple on the Agra-Delhi highway.

In Vrindavan in Mathura district, at least a dozen colonies were flooded and people were forced to move out to safer places. The river was flowing 1.71 metres above the danger level of 165.2 metres at Mathura, an official said.

The second unit of the Bear Rescue Centre in Mathura was also affected and the bears were moved to higher enclosures.

In Agra, over 40,000 acres of agricultural land has come under water, said district agriculture officer Tilak Singh. The standing til (sesame) and bajra crops, and vegetables have been destroyed in villages along the river bank like Mehra Naharganj, Mahal Badshahi, Tanaura, Noorpur and Manoharpur. In Kheragarh sub-district, the Sarendhi dam overflowed, flooding large tracts of agricultural land.

Also, the water flow from the Mantola nullah near the Taj Mahal entered the moat of the Agra Fort past midnight. The river water also entered the Kailash temple on the Agra-Delhi highway. Manoharpur, Bahadurpur, Tanaura and Noorpur were the worst affected villages in Agra, officials said.

Official sources said they expected the water level to rise to 499 feet. On Saturday, it stood at 498 feet.

District Magistrate Amrit Abhijaat told mediapersons that the army would be called in if required.