Agra on storm alert till Sunday
Dy chief minister Dinesh Sharma visits affected villages, distributes compensation cheques
AGRA: The weather office has sounded an alert till Sunday in UP, said Agra district magistrate Gaurav Dayal, and issued a detailed advisory to manage any imminent disaster.
The advisory was issued after a 132-kmph dust storm hit the city on the intervening night of Wednesday-Thursday, bringing heavy showers and hailstorm that killed 48 people in the district and 75 in the state. Besides, property worth crores was destroyed.
The warning was received with fear by the villagers, who have already witnessed extensive damage and have been living without water and power supply for two consecutive days.
Meanwhile, senior administrative officials surveyed rural areas to assess damage before chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s visit to the district on Saturday.
The DM, special superintendent Amit Pathak and other senior officials visited villages in Khairagarh. A team of officials was deputed to survey the affected areas and evaluate property and crop loss. The district magistrate promised adequate compensation.
On the other hand, doctors at SN medical college said they have conducted post-mortem exami-
nation of 44 bodies till now.
Divisional commissioner K Ram Mohan Rao and Dayal visited the medical college hospital to review arrangements. A separate ward was opened there and a dedicated team of doctors was deputed. Rao told the medical staff to provide prompt services and ensure there was no shortage of medicines.
An official said, “Agra has witnessed two devastating storms in 20 days. More than 1,400 villages continue to remain without power supply.”
Trains have been running late and historical buildings, including the Taj Mahal, have suffered extensive damage. Two wooden doors of the Taj minarets have been damaged and several trees on the premises were uprooted.
DY CM GIVES COMPENSATION
Deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma visited storm affected areas of the district on Friday. It is expected that the CM would conduct an aerial survey of the affected villages on Saturday, after which he would meet district authorities to discuss relief measures and then fly to Kanpur -- another district affected by Wednesday’s storm.
Minister SP Singh Baghel said, “CM Yogi Adityanath is to arrive from Karnataka and reach Agra on Friday night. He will conduct aerial survey of the affected areas on Saturday and discuss relief measures with district authorities.” On Friday, Dinesh Sharma reached village Kukawar -among the worst hit in the district. Officials said he distributed compensation money cheques to kin of storm casualties.
Sharma also met the family that lost four children and handed over Rs 16 lakh cheque to them. The children, three of villager Rajveer and one of his brother, were killed after highspeed winds brought down the walls and roof of their house on Wednesday night.
He also visited SN Hospital and interacted with the injured admitted in the surgery ward. Most patients were still in shock.