Pilibhit–Uttarakhand road stretch swept away by floods

PILIBHIT: A 20–25ft stretch of the Majhola–Sitarganj road, connecting Pilibhit with Uttarakhand, was washed away by floodwaters from the Kailash river on Thursday afternoon, cutting off interstate traffic.The breach, near Birhani village in the district, has hit over 500 students from half a dozen villages who travel daily by school buses to English-medium schools in Sitarganj, Uttarakhand. The spot lies barely 200ft from the main channel of the Kailash, which forms part of the UP–Uttarakhand border.Locals said the same stretch was swept away in floods last year as well. After that, the PWD had built a long culvert using Hume pipes, but it failed to withstand the force of the river’s discharge this time.SDM Amaria, Mayank Goswami, said PWD assistant engineer Jaipal Lodhi has been directed to conduct a technical survey and start repairs at the earliest to restore traffic. “A long-term solution will be decided by PWD engineers, but I will suggest the construction of a bridge here,” he said.Residents said the disruption would also affect farmers and traders. “Many farmers have shops and businesses in Sitarganj, while others go there for banking, fuel, fertiliser and pesticide needs. Now, we will have to travel 30–35km more via Amaria,” said Manjit Singh, a farmer from Bela Pokhra village.