In pics: Floods ravage Bihar, UP as Ganga, Yamuna cross danger mark

As floods ravaged some parts of the country, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday spoke to chief ministers of four flood-hit states - Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Rajasthan - and assured all central help in dealing with the disaster.

The Centre on Monday rushed 10 NDRF teams to flood-hit areas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in order to launch massive relief and rescue operations to help those marooned in these states.

NDRF Director General O P Singh told PTI that while five teams are being airlifted for immediate deployment from its base in Odisha to Uttar Pradesh, the rest five are being picked by choppers from Bathinda in Punjab and will be sent to Bihar, the two worst-affected states. Singh said the teams will be in addition to the 56 such contingents which are undertaking flood combat operations in these two states, besides Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Earlier in the day, the NDRF said it had rescued more than 26,000 people from the flood-ravaged areas of these states.

In Allahabad, schools have been ordered to close down and people have taking shelter in relief camps.

Both Ganga and Yamuna have crossed the danger mark by more than a metre and water levels in both the rivers are steadily rising by a rate of about three cm per hour, official sources said.

According to Centre Water Commission (CWC), Ganga is flowing above the danger mark at Fafamau and Chatnag in Allahabad, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Ghazipur and Ballia while Yamuna is flowing above red mark at Chillaghat (Banda), Hamirpur and Naini (Allahabad).

However, the water level in the Ganga was expected to decline by 20 cm at Digha ghat (Patna) by Tuesday morning.

Ken river is flowing above the danger mark at Banda while Sharda has crossed the danger mark at Palliakalan (Kheri).

Heavy rainfall has been recorded at isolated areas in Udaipur and Jodhpur divisions in Rajasthan since Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised full support to these flood-hit states in the conduct of rescue and relief operations.

Villagers rescue Pengu birds from flood affected Purbabhadurpur in Birbhum district of West Bengal on Monday.

A view of a flooded locality in Patna on Monday.

RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav meets flood victims in Didarganj in Patna on Monday.

Children wade through a flooded road in Chapra, Bihar.

Huts of sadhus submurged in the waters of River Ganga and Yamuna in Allahabad on Monday.

A view of submurged houses in the water of River Ganga and Yamuna after the water level rose for the second time in Allahabad on Monday.

A student shifts his belongings from his flooded room at Salori area in Allahabad.

Rescue work is carried after collapse of a house due to heavy rains in Allahabad.

A milkman crossing a flooded road in Katihar.

Villagers walk through flood waters at a village in Patna district.

Villagers shifting to a safer place from a flooded village in Patna district. 

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar inspecting flood affected areas by a helicopter.

Vehicles on the submerged national highway 31 near Fatuha in Patna district of Bihar. 

Volunteers help a child to get down from the roof of a submerged house to shift him to safety near Danpur in Patna district.

A temple submerged at Salori area in Allahabad.

Submerged houses after heavy monsoon rain in Allahabad on Monday.

A woman drying clothes in a flooded area in Mirzapur.

A woman waiting for help and relief in a flooded locality in Nakta Diyara, Patna.

People shifting with their cattle to safer places from the flood-affected Nakta Diyara in Patna.

Submerge houses in Danapur-Diyara in Bihar on Monday.

PTI Photos