Rains take a break, life returns to normalcy in Vidarbha

Nagpur, July 2 (UNI) Life returned to normalcy today as rains took a break after four days of downpour in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

Water, that had entered houses along the banks of major rivers and nullahs, and in low-lying areas of various towns and villages has subsided, according to an official release here.

Two persons were swept away by the floodwaters in Chandrapur district yesterday, taking the toll in Vidarbha to 31, the release said.

The victims were identified as Mahesh Yelu Yerame, a resident of Bhimadi, and Puresh Kadaskar, a resident of Chikhali, both in Chandrapur district, it said, adding that the heavy downpour damaged 272 houses in the district.

The rains affected 344 villages and damaged over 15,000 houses in Amravati district, the release said. The affected families had been shifted to safer places, it added.

Meanwhile, train traffic on the Mumbai-Howrah and New Delhi-Chennai routes continued to be out of gear because of the rains, according to a Central Railway release here.

The 8030 Shalimar-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) Express, leaving Shalimar today, had been cancelled, the press release said.

Similarly, 8029 LTT-Shalimar Express, scheduled to leave LTT on July 4, had also been cancelled, it said.

The 2106 Nagpur-Mumbai Vidarbha Express left Nagpur three hours late today, it also said. The 2809 Mumbai-Howrah Mail was running 5 hours 45 minutes late, 2811 LTT-Hatia Express 4 hours, 2833 Ahmedabad-Howrah Express 6 hours late, 2859 Mumbai-Howrah Geetanjali Express 5 hours late, 2512 Thiruvananthapuram-Gorakhpur Express 2 hours 15 minutes late and 8029 LTT-Shalimar Express 5 hours late, the release added.

UNI