No threat to Taj, says state administration

Lucknow, Sep 25: Uttar Pradesh government today asserted that there was no threat to world the famous monument of Tajmahal despite river Yamuna in Agra was showing a rising trend.

''Taj faces no threat from the Yamuna waters as the level of the monument is high despite the increasing water level,'' Anil Kumar, the District Magistrate of Agra told the sources here over the phone.

He sought to deny reports circulated in this regard that the river Yamuna posed threat to the Taj. ''We are constantly monitoring the water level of Yamuna and have found nothing alarming till now,'' he said.

The flood situation in other parts of the state, meanwhile, continued to be grim with 24 districts facing fury of mainly turbulent rivers Ghagra,Sharda, Ramganga rivers. These rivers are flowing over the danger mark at Barabanki, Gonda, Basti, Lakhimpur, Sitapur and Shahjahanpur.

A total of 26.26 lakh of population had so far been affected by flood as the latest reports of further damage were still pouring in, UP Relief Commissioner G K Tandon said.

As much as 4.22 hectares of cultivated land had been covered by water, while 3.70 lakh of houses were fully or partialy damaged, he said.

The army had to be called in at Gonda and Barabanki for relief and rescue operations.

UNI