Rain-related toll 58 in MP, threat of flash floods in Gujarat

Bhopal/Mumbai, Aug 16 (UNI) The toll in rain-related incidents in Madhya Pradesh rose to 58 as Mumbai was lashed by intermittent showers and spectre of flash floods in Ahmedabad forced evacuation of 30000 people today.

Thousands are stranded in rural areas of Balaghat, Hoshangabad and Guna districts due to release of water from reservoirs and damaged bridges. The Army is helping the administration in relief and rescue in MP. As many as 15 people have died in Bhopal and seven in Hoshangabad since August 14.

Food packets, potable water and medicine were airdropped yesterday over five villages in Hoshangabad district where about 1,000 people are trapped.

More than 2,000 people are trapped across more than 50 villages in Balaghat district where the Benganga is in spate. With the weather clearing, road links were re-established but State Highway 26 is closed due to a damaged bridge over the Saratti river at Lalbarra 22 km from Balaghat district headquarters.

Mumbai and its suburbs were lashed by intermittent rains. The weather bureau has predicted heavy showers in the next 24 hours. The city was deluged recently due to very heavy rains.

Heavy rains hit the suburbs causing waterlogging in low lying areas like Andheri and Jogeshwari. The city recorded 13.6 mm of rain and suburbs 54.5 mm of rain till 0830 hrs. Suburban trains were running about ten minutes behind schedule. Four lakes in the Metropolis -- Bhatsa, Upper Vaitarna, Tulsi and Vihar, have started overflowing because of the incessant rains.

Ahmedabad District Collector D Thara told UNI today that over 25000 people have been shifted to safer places in the city and another 5000 have been evacuated from surrounding villages as heavy rains have triggered a fresh threat of flash floods.

As many as 69 water reservoirs have been filled to capacity in the state and a high alert has been sounded.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi who has been camping in Surat directed the administration to clean up the city to prevent outbreak of an epidemic.

A report from Kolkata said, with a depression forming in Bay of Bengal, Gangetic West Bengal is likely to witness heavy to extremely heavy rains in the next 24 hours, according to Met office.

Apart from West Bengal, heavy rainfall is also likely in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The maximum temperature in Kolkata was recorded at 31.6 degrees Celsius while minimum was 25.5 degrees.

Rains and gales have been predicted off the north and south coasts of Andhra Pradesh due to a low pressure area over north west Bay of adjoining Orissa and West Bengal, according to information received here.

The south west monsoon remained active over Kerala and Lakshadweep. Kozhikode received the maximum eight cm rainfall followed by Kochi airport seven cm, a report here said.

Despite the routine onset of monsoon and high intensity showers, there is a steady decline in rainfall across the North East, according to the Met office.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has already identified Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and Nagaland, as 'rain deficient' states after analysing two and a half decades of weather data and has predicted that these states are likely to face drought-like situations in the near future, a report from Aizawl said.

UNI TEAM YA RP BD1930