11 people killed in rain-related incidents, a million affected

New Delhi, July 9 (UNI) Eleven people were killed and a million affected in rain-related incidents today as the monsoon remained vigorous in most parts of the country.

Floods in Balasore and Bhadrak districts of Orissa claimed nine lives and affected over a million people, reports said.

Whilst six deaths were reported from Balasore, three died in Bhadrak. More than eight lakh people have been affected as about 678 villages in 77 Gram Panchayats came under water.

Six people have died in rain-related incidents over the past two days in Akola district, Maharashtra, following incessant rains even as soldiers rescued three people trapped in the floods.

In Mumbai, suburbs experienced intermittent rains during the past 24 hours, keeping the mercury level low. The total rainfall recorded for the last 24 hours was 1.7 mm at Colaba and 6.2 mm at Santacruz.

In Karnataka, authorities issued flood warnings downstream the Kabini and Hemavathi Reservoirs in the Cauvery Basin.

Rains also occurred at a few places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the last 24 hours.

Heavy rains lashed several mid and lower hills of Himachal Pradesh during the last 24 hours with Dharamshala in Kangra district being the wettest place in the state, recording 145.6 mm, the Met office said.

The town had recorded about 145.6 mm of rains during the last 24 hours up to 0830 hrs this morning causing huge losses in the district.

One Army jawan was killed in a strong storm near a forward post in north Kashmir, reports said. With this, a total of two persons were killed, three were wounded and more than two dozen houses were damaged in the storm.

Rains lashed many areas in north-west India in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh during the past 24 hours, triggering landslides.

Moderate to heavy rain pounded several areas in Punjab with Ranjit Sagar dam site turning the wettest place. Shahpur Kandi measured 84 mm, Madopur 53.0 mm, Nangal Dam 7.2 mm and Patiala 6.2 mm rainfall.

Several areas in Haryana also experienced moderate rain. Karnal with 30.2 mm rain was the wettest place in the state, followed by Nelokheri recording 25.0 mm and Ambala 7.8 mm downpour.

Moderate to heavy rain also lashed parts of Jammu and Kashmir, including Bhasoli and Patti.

Light rains hit Delhi maintaining coolness in the weather.

The weatherman has forecast some heavy showers in the capital in the next 48 hours. The minimum was recorded at 27.4 degrees, one degree below normal.

Normal life has been thrown completely out of gear due to torrential rains in Rajasthan's Banswara district during the past 24 hours with threats of a flood looming large.

In Siddharthnagar, the pontoon bridge on the Naugarh-Basti highway washed away due to an increase in water level of the river.

Authorities in Gandhinagar issued a flood warning to 80 villages lined along the rivers in south and central Gujarat following incessant rains in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh that began yesterday.

Authorities of three talukas in Vadodara - Sinor, Dabhoi and Karjan were put on alert as the 1210 metre-long Sardar Sarovar Dam over the Narmada river overflowed by 2.25 metre.

The Southwest Monsoon has been vigorous in West Madhya Pradesh and active in East Rajasthan and Gujarat region.

Heavy to very heavy rains are likely at most places in West Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat region, Konkan and Goa.

Heavy rains are likely at most places in coastal Karnataka, Kerala and at many places in East Rajasthan and Madhya Maharashtra.

Rain or thundershowers are likely at many places in West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Vidarbha, Saurashtra and Kutch, Marathwada, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and at a few places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal and Sikkim, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, east Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, west rajasthan, east Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, interior Karnataka, Lakshadweep and at isolated places in Tamil Nadu.

Rain or thundershowers have occurred at most places in east Rajasthan, coastal Karnataka and many places in Gangetic West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Vidrbha and Andaman and Nicobar Islands and at a few places in Arunchal Pradesh, Asom and Meghalaya, Uttaranchal, west Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, east Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Marathwada, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalseema, south interior Karnataka and at isolated places in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, east Uttar Pradesh,west Rajasthan, Saurashtra and Kutch, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.

UNI