Death count in Kerala touches 142

New Delhi, July 17 (UNI) Death toll in rain-related incidents in Kerala rose to 142 with landslides and flash floods claiming 20 lives in the past 24 hours as life was disrupted at several places in Bihar with heavy rains lashing the state.

Heavy rains led to landslides and flashfloods in Kerala damaging property worth lakhs during the past 24 hours.

Seven deaths each were reported from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, two from Thrissur and one each from Idukki, Kasaragod Pathanamthitta and Palakkad.

Most of the rivers in the state were flowing above the danger mark and authorities were forced to open the shutters of many dams.

Teams from the Disaster Management Department and Ezhimala Naval Academy had been rushed to the worst affected districts of Wayanad, Malappuram and Idukki.

More than 4,500 affected people were shifted to 61 new relief camps opened during the past 24 hours.

Rail traffic on the Kottayam-Ernakulam route of the Southern Railway was disrupted following the engine derailment of the Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai superfast following landslide due to heavy rains at Kuruppanthara in Kottayam last night.

Engine driver and two passengers sustained minor injuries in the accident.

Official sources said as many as 29 houses were destroyed and 501 damaged partially in different parts of the state during the past 24 hours.

In Bihar, heavy rains threw life out of gear at several places.

Most of the low-lying areas in Patna and its suburbs came under knee-deep water causing severe inconvenience to the people.

Among the most affected areas were Sri Krishna Nagar, Kidawi Puri, Chitragupt Nagar, Kankar Bagh, Rajendra Nagar and Kadam Kuan, where most of the people had been rendered homeless.

Sultry weather conditions prevailed in the plains of Punjab and Haryana following scanty rainfall at isolated places in the region during the past 24 hours.

Except Balachour in Punjab and Loharu and Jajjar in Haryana, there were no rains in the twin states and Chandigarh Union Territory since last night, resulting in hot and humid weather conditions at most places in the region.

However, light to moderate rain lashed some areas in Himachal Pradesh with Sujanpur Tira turning as the wettest place in the state, recording 50.0 mm downpour, followed by Sundernagar measuring 47.1 mm.

Humid weather conditions prevailed in Chandigarh and its adjoining areas of Punjab and Haryana. The city had no rains since last night.

Monsoon remained active over Karnataka, resulting in the increase of inflow into reservoirs like Krishnaraja Sagar, Kabini, Harangi, among others, forcing the authorities to release water.

Rains have been lashing Kodagu district since yesterday, affecting normal life. Bhagamandala was cut off from Madikeri as the roads were overflowing with flood water.

Following incessant rains in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district since yesterday, sea erosion had been reported in several parts, mainly in Udupi district incurring a total loss of over Rs 1.3 crore.

According to official sources, land was eroded at Polipu (250 mts), Padukere (120 mts), Kidiyur (425 mts), Kadekar (200 mts), Nadipatna (300 mts)- all in Udupi taluk and Shiroor (100 mts).

The Sikkim and Darjeeling hills also remained cut off from the rest of the country following serial landslides that killed a person and damaged at least six houses, official sources said.

Heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours has increased the water level of Ganga and Ghagra rivers in Uttar Pradesh.

The water level of Ganga river shoot-up in Varanasi, Ghazipur, Kanpur, Fatehgarh and Ballia.

Reports of increase in water level of Gomti, Ghagra, Kuani, Rapti and Gandak rivers had also been received.

Mercury in Delhi rose to 36.8 degrees Celsius after pleasant weather last week. The sunny weather, coupled with a high humidity level of close to 90 per cent, led to a rise in maximum temperature, from 35.5 degrees yesterday to 36.8 degrees.

It was another rainless day in the national capital, after bountiful showers last week.

UNI