6,000 evacuated in Chhattisgarh due to incessant rains

New Delhi, June 30 (UNI) More than 6,000 people have been evacuated from Chhattisgarh which also reported two deaths, while Maharashtra witnessed 10 casualties due to heavy rains which pounded several parts of the country during the past 24 hours.

Two people were killed in Chhattisgarh and more than 6,000 people were shifted to relief camps following torrential rains that lashed the state capital Raipur continuously for 17 hours since yesterday.

Heavy rains, which began at about 2030 hrs last night, continued even today affecting normal life in Raipur.

City Mayor Sunil Soni told UNI that more than 6,000 people, residing in the low-lying areas, had been shifted to relief camps set up in schools and other buildings.

In Maharashtra, two people died of electrocution in Nagaon village of Vasai taluka near Thane, three each died in Ratnagiri and Raigad districts in Konkan region, while two women were killed in Mahad district.

Life was thrown out of gear in Mumbai as both road and rail traffic were disrupted due to waterlogging on rail tracks on all the three routes -- Central, Harbour and Western lines -- and flooding of low-lying areas across the city.

Poor visibility due to inclement weather forced cancellation and delayed operations of several national and international flights to and from Mumbai.

Rainfall occurred at most places in Kerala and at isolated places in Lakshadweep even as the South West Monsoon continued to remain weak over the region.

The Local Met office said the highest rainfall of 12 mm was received at Irikkur, followed by Nilambur with nine mm.

Two days after South West Monsoon hit Delhi, a day earlier than its scheduled date of arrival, warm and humid conditions left Delhiites in a sweat even as rains eluded the city after the first spell of Monsoon showers on Thursday.

Dry weather and a rise in humidity to 87 per cent today left Delhiites sweltering, resulting in an increase in maximum temperature to 37.3 degrees Celsius, dampening the euphoria over the onset of the Monsoon rains.

Monsoon rains lashed many parts of North-West region since last night, providing respite to people from sweltering heat.

Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into Haryana but seemed to have weakened in Rajasthan with no reports of any rainfall from different parts of the state in the past 12 hours.

An upper air cyclonic circulation lay over Jammu and Kashmir and neighbourhood, having extension up to 3.6 km above sea level, according to the Weather Office here.

Light to moderate rains or thundershowers were likely to occur at few places in Himachal Pradesh and isolated places in Punjab and Haryana during the next 24 hours, the Met Office said.

In Punjab, moderate rain lashed Amritsar and its adjoining areas till this morning. The holy city recorded 39.6 mm rain. Ludhiana, too, experienced rainfall.

Certain areas in Haryana also had rain. Karnal measured 16.0 mm while Nelokheri reported trace rainfall.

Light to moderate rain lashed mid and lower hills in Himachal Pradesh, bringing a considerable fall in the temperatures.

Chandigarh and its adjoining areas were also lashed by brief spell of showers this evening.

With Monsoon becoming active, heavy rainfall was likely in north central Madhya Pradesh during the next 24 hours.

UNI