NEW DELHI: The flood situation in northern and eastern India remained grim with rivers in spate despite rains easing up with a sting in the monsoon tail. Adding to the problem of flooding was water released by dams in the hills have led to a rise in the level of all major rivers in Uttar Pradesh.

The Ganga was above the danger mark in Ballia and looked menacing in Fatehgarh, Kannuaj, Kanpur, Rae Bareli and Ghazipur. Ramganga was rising in Shahjahanpur and Yamuna was in spate in Mathura, Agra, Etawah, Auraiya, Hamirpur, Allahabad and Banda. Betwa has risen in Jalaun and Hamirpur while Gomti is swollen in Sultanpur, Sitapur, Luckow and Jaunpur.

The worst hit districts in UP are Bahraich, Gonda, Lakhimpur Kheri and Balrampur because of the sudden rise in the level of Ghaghra, Rapti and Sharda. More than 60 houses were washed away by flood waters in six villages of Mahsi block in Bahraich.

Over two lakh cusecs of water released from Rihand and Obra dams led to flash floods in over 20 villages in Sonbhadra, UP, and several districts in Bihar. The sluice gates were opened after water level in dams reached the danger mark following floods in Rihand due to heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Irrigation department officers said water from Rihand dam was released after it crossed 870ft mark in the reservoir - a first in nearly two decades.

The Orissa government stepped up food relief to people affected by the deluge that has left 16 dead and thousands homeless in the last one week.

Airdropping continued for the second day as lakhs of people remained marooned in Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and parts of Cuttack. Three defence helicopters made 10 sorties and airdropped 134 quintals of dry food at Tirtol, Garadpur, Gop, Kujang, Marshaghai, Mahakalapada, Delang and Banki areas.

In Bihar, the surge in the levels of the Sone is expected to abate in the next 24 hours with flood waters entering Jharkhand and West Bengal, said flood control and monitoring cell official, Indu Bhushan Kumar.

The two choppers requisitioned from the defence ministry by the Bihar government to carry out emergency rescue and relief operations in the flood- affected areas returned to their bases on Monday morning. The four National Disaster Response Force teams rescued all the 763 trapped people in the three districts - Rohtas, Aurangabad and Arwal.