Flood fury continues: UP toll mounts to 31

New Delhi, Jun 20 (UNI) With monsoon showers wreaking havoc in many parts of the country, seven people were killed in rain-triggered incidents in Uttar Pradesh and Orrisa.

According to reports, the six fresh casualties were reported from Ferozabad, Kaushambi, Lucknow and Shahjahanpur of UP.

Ceaseless rainfall in UP since the arrival of south-west monsoon has so far not only claimed 31 lives, but also destroyed thousand hectares of farmland in several districts.

The increasing water level of several big and small rivers was affecting hundreds of villages in the state.

According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the rising water level of rivers, due to unending rainfall, has reached an alarming proportion in several districts of the state. In Sant Kabirnagar district, the Rampur-Makdoompur dam was facing threat from the swelling Ghaghra river.

In Guwahati, one person was killed and four others injured in landslide at Udalbakra, in outskirts of the city, as it experienced 2.5 cm rainfall in just over an hour last night, the heaviest downpour this season.

Heavy overnight showers flooded most parts of Guwahati and a faulty sewerage system kept all low-lying areas under water till this noon.

At least 300 vehicles were left stranded since last night on the roads, as most of the major throughfares of the city has gone under water.

There were also reports of landslides from the surrounding hill areas of the city. The worst affected areas are Chandmari, R G B Road, Kalapahar, Maligaon, Rehabari and G S Roads.

In the worst hit district of Lakhimpur, the flood situation has improved, but still as many as 6000 people have not been able to move to their own houses as it is still under water.

However, the river Brahmaputra is rising menacingly and flowing above the danger level at all the measuring points signalling the first major wave of floods in the entire Brahmaputra valley.

Over 25,000 people of Nabin Nagar, Chandmari, Pub Sarania, Lachit Nagar have been stranded at home in waist deep water.

With the Brahmaputra flowing above the red mark, the river Bharalu, the main drainage of the city, has not been able to discharge water and as a result the water level has not gone down even though the rain stopped last night itself.

MORE UNI Team ATI KN1952