JK rivers continue to flow above danger mark; Kolkata inundated

New Delhi, Sep 3 (UNI) The 300-km Srinagar-Jammu national highway continued to remain closed for the third day today after rains triggered landslides with both Jhelum and Chenab rivers flowing above danger mark in the state and Kolkata remained under water following the heavy downpour last night.

In Kashmir, hundreds of passengers and vehicles have been stranded enroute following heavy rainfall for the past three days.

However, the air traffic was normal with all flights operating as per schedule. Many parts of the highway have been inundated with flood water.

The 434-km Srinagar-Leh highway was also closed for the third day today due to landslides at several places.

The Border Roads organisation (BRO) men have been mobilised and they were working to clear both the highways for vehicular traffic.

In Jammu, the water level in Chenab river has crossed the danger mark of 35 ft in Akhnoor last evening.

However, the water level of the river was recorded at 38 ft on Friday night while it came down to 36 ft, one feet above danger mark, on Saturday evening, chief engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control V K Abrol said.

Heavy rains are also likely to occur in Kolkata and Orissa in the next 48 hours due to low pressure in North West Bay of Bengal.

Met officials said that Kolkata and South 24 Parganas experienced heavy rains last night. The total rainfall recorded till 0830 hrs in the morning was 90.4 mm while it was 99.6 mm in Diamond Harbours in South 24 Parganas.

The maximum temperature was recorded at 32.8 degrees C while the minimum was 25.1 degrees C, the officials said.

The Southwest Monsoon has been active over Gangetic West Bengal and west Uttar Pradesh. It has been subdued over east Uttar Pradesh, east Madhya Pradesh, Marathwada, Vidarbha, Chattisgarh, Telangana, Rayalaseema, Karnataka and Kerala.

Rain or thundershowers have also occurred at a few places in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, south interior Karnataka and at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, east Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Maharashtra, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Lakshadweep.

However, the South West Monsoon has been weak over Kerala and Lakshadweep, according to the Met Office.

Rainfall occurred at isolated places and the highest rainfall of three cm was recorded at Perinthalmana.

Similarly, monsoonal fury abated over the past two days in Madhya Pradesh and only a few areas experienced overnight drizzles but the Regional Meteorological Centre predicted downpours in the state over the next 24 hours.

In the western part, Badwani district's Sendhwa received a brief downpour this afternoon.

UNI TEAM HS RP RS1917