Floods wreak havoc in Eastern India, rivers rise in UP

New Delhi, Jun 19 (UNI) Floods tormented millions in Orissa, Assam and Bengal as heavy rains raised the water level of many rivers in Uttar Pradesh to dangerous proportions.

Over one million people in Orissa were affected in four flood-hit districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanja and Jajpur after the Subarnarekha, Jalaka, Baitarani and Jambhira rivers inundated hundreds of villages, disrupting both road and rail communications.

The flood has so far claimed two lives in Mayurbhanj district. More than 15,000 people had been evacuated from the flood hit areas of Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Balasore district so far. Several long distance trains were cancelled for the third day, today, while many were either short-terminated or diverted, following breaches caused by flash floods in Orissa.

The flood situation in Assam's North Lakhimpur district improved significantly with the water level receding, though the breakdown in communication through national highway 52 remained a cause of concern.

In West Bengal, the death toll in flood-related incidents rose to 13, with the recovery of the bodies of Gautam Basu, former secretary of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, and Ramesh Kanojia, a Delhi-based business associate of Basu, from Keleghai river today. Many trains would remain cancelled for the next two days, following floods in Medinipur district.

Heavy rains have raised the water level of many rivers, including the Ghaghra, to an alarming level. So far, 23 people have died in rain-triggered incidents in the state. Three people were reported to have lost their lives in Agra, while two people died in Mainpuri and one each in Bareilly and Badaun, in the last 24 hours. Jhansi recorded the highest rainfall at 12 cm, followed by Banda 6 cm, Bansi 3 cm.

Rain lashed many areas in north-west India overnight as monsoon remained vigorous in Himachal Pradesh, providing respite to all mid and lower hills of the state during the last 24 hours. The maximum temperatures stayed four degrees to 10 degrees below normal at most places in the region, in the wake of rain. Shimla, which was lashed with 38.6 mm rainfall, recorded the maximum temperature at 21.1 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 16.3 degrees.

Rains also lashed some areas in Punjab with Shahpur Kandi turning as the wettest place in the state, recording 30.0 mm rainfall till this morning.

Several areas in Haryana also experienced moderate rain overnight. Nilokheri, with 45.0 mm rain, was the wettest place in the state, while Narnaul registered 38.0 mm and Bhivani 20 mm rainfall.

The Monsoon was vigorous in Chandigarh, measuring 14.8 mm rainfall, where the maximum temprature remained static at 34.6 degrees, four degrees below normal.

Upper air cyclonic circulation over Central Pakistan and Northwest Rajasthan and West Punjab persisted and extended upto 2.1 km above sea level. Another upper air cyclonic circulation lay over Southwest Uttar Pradesh and neighbourhood, extending upto 4.5 km above sea level.

After a two-day lull in rainfall activity since the early arrival of Monsoon in the Capital city on Sunday, heavy rains lashed Delhi again this afternoon, bringing the mercury down from 35.2 degrees yesterday to 33.7 degrees, six degrees below normal. The Capital received a total of 13.8 mm.

A total of 23 deaths have so far been reported from different places in Rajasthan during the current season, with as many as 10 people having died in rain-related incidents during the past 24 hours, even as monsoon fury disrupted normal life at some places in the state. According to reports, four persons have died at different places in Jaipur district, while six rain-related casualties were reported from Alwar. Six people, including three children were killed in rain-related mishaps in the district during past 24 hours.

Rains accompanied with high velocity winds lashed the Capital town late last night, recording 39 mm rainfall.

The southwest Monsoon has been vigorous in east Madhya Pradesh and active in Kerala. It has been subdued Gujarat, Marathwada and Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and north interior Karnataka.

Rain or thundershowers have occurred at most places in Meghalaya, Sikkim, Jharkhand and Bihar, coastal Karnataka and Kerala and at many places in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, at a few places in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Konkan and Goa, Rayalaseema and Andaman and Nicobar and at isolated places in Madhya Maharashtra and Lakshadweep.

UNI TEAM SBC KN2012