Near flood situation in Madhya Pradesh

New Delhi, Sept 1: Four people were killed when heavy rains lashed Bhopal and adjoining areas affecting life in Madhya Pradesh and administration in the flood-hit Kawas in Barmer started drilling to drain water even as the death toll rose to 36 in floods in various districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Near flood situation arose in Madhya Pradesh with almost all rivers and rivulets in spate and vehicular traffic from the capital to Raisen and Sagar remained affected. Flights were affected as rainwater accumulated on the runway at Bhopal airport.

Two youths were washed away while crossing a nullah in Ujjain while two people were killed as lightning struck them in Shivpuri yesterday.

Many trains were running behind schedule due to heavy rains and flooding of tracks.

At least 35 people, trapped in rising waters in two canals after a heavy downpour in Jhalawar district of Rajasthan, were rescued even as heavy rains continued to lash Udaipur and Kota divisions with warning of more torrential rains in the next 24 hours. Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar, Banswara and Chittor recorded heavy rains.

Many roads have been blocked in Kota division due to continuous downpour. The state government has started drilling to drain flood waters in the worst-affected Kawas village in Barmer district.

Light to moderate rains were experienced in the national capital early this morning as people woke up to another cool day. The rains plummetted minimum temperature to 24.5 degrees Celsius, from 25.2 degrees yesterday. The weatherman have forecast more rainfall for the day and also during the next few days due to the Northwesterly movement of the Monsoon depession which lay over East Madhya Pradesh yesterday.

Monsoon rains lashed almost all mid and lower hills of Himachal Pradesh during the last 24 hours, while high altitude areas of Chamba district of the state experienced mild snowfall last night.

The day and night temperatures in the district have plummetted in the last few days with the region experiencing intermittent snowfall.

The 300-km Srinagar-Jammu national highway has been closed due to shooting stones triggered by heavy rains at Banthal this morning.

The 434-km Srinagar-Leh highway had also been closed due to landslides at Captain Mor.

Moderate rains pounded several areas in Punjab with Balachour being the wettest place recording 31.2 mm rainfall overnight.

Nangal Dam site registered 10.4 mm, Ludhiana 8.4 mm and Amritsar and Patiala 0.6 mm each rain.

Many areas in Haryana also experienced moderate rain. Hissar recorded 12.9 mm, Karnal 5.0 mm and Ambala 0.3 mm downpour till this morning.

While some parts of Uttar Pradesh are facing a drought-like situation following deficit rains, other parts are sumberged in flood water.

At least 36 people have died and over 700 animals reported to have perished in floods. Besides, 1,500 'kuccha' dwellings have collapsed.

Owing to land erosion in Rapti, Ganga, Sharda, Saryu and the turbulent Ghagra, flood continues to haunt Faizabad, Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, Barabanki, Gonda and Lakhimpur Kheri districts.

The recent floods are a result of diversion of excess water from reserviors of Nepal.

Houses have been marooned and five lakh population affected.

Bahraich and Shravasti districts faced the flood fury the most.

Hundreds of villages have been inundated in Bahraich, while standing crops worth several lakhs of rupees were also damaged.

According to the forecast for the next 24 hours, rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at many places in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, west Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Konkan, Goa, coastal Karnataka, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

UNI