Death toll in UP reaches 64, monsoon weakens in northwest

New Delhi, July 15 (UNI) Six members of a family died in a wall collapse in Uttar Pradesh today as heavy rainfall lashed the state, taking the toll up to 64, while the monsoon turned weaker in the northwest.

The flood threat in Uttar Pradesh is haunting Hardoi, where river Gomti is nearing the danger mark, while Ganga is also rising at various places.

A report from Hardoi said six members of a family were killed, when a house collapsed in Khamaria village under Madhoganj police station area.

Central Water Commission informed all major rivers including Ganga, Yamuna, Ghagra, Gandhak, Sharda, Ken, Gomti and Rapti were swelling, but had not reached the danger mark.

Following showers accompanied by velocity winds, the temperature also took a beating at most places in the state but continuous rainfall has posed problems for the farmers and the prospects of kharif crop have become bad.

Monsoon turned weak in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh as only fewer areas in the region received scanty rain since last night.

Light to moderate rain lashed some areas in Punjab with Patiala receiving 1.4 mm and Ludhiana 0.3 mm rainfall till 0830 hours.

Sultry weather conditions continued in Haryana where major towns reported no rainfall.

Humid weather conditions prevailed in Chandigarh and its adjoining areas of Punjab and Haryana.

Meanwhile, in the capital there was no let up from the sultry weather conditions with the lull in rainfall activity, after Wednesday's heavy monsoon showers, continuing for the third day.

Even though a fresh wave of Westerly winds provided some relief from the perspiring conditions, the partly sunny weather, coupled with a humidity of 63 per cent, led to a further rise in mercury to 36.3 degrees Celsius.

Weathermen attribute the lull in rainfall activity to the decreasing influence of the upper air cyclonic storm, that had contributed to Wednesday's heavy spell of monsoon rains.

In Karnataka, the Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir authorities issued a flood warning asking people living on the banks of the Cauvery to move to safer places as the discharge from the dam may increase any moment due to heavy inflow following incessant rain in the river basin areas.

The water level in the dam touched 123 ft, just one feet short of its full level of 124.80 ft. The inflow was 11,737 cusecs and the discharge 1155 cusecs.

Rains also continued in Kolkata and brought down the temperature by a few notches.

In Madhya Pradesh monsoonal activity started gaining momentum and good rainfall is expected in the next few days, meteorological department said.

The Met department said monsoonal activity would increase in the state and heavy rainfall was expected in next two-three days, as an upper air cyclone built over the Bay of Bengal was advancing towards the northwestern part of the state.

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