Floods continue to take a toll in Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Bihar and Assam.
As many as 16 people have lost their lives in heavy rain-related incidents in Kerala in the last couple of days. An alert has been sounded in four districts even as torrential rains submerged low-lying areas leaving people stranded in houses and isolated places. Squally winds and widespread landslips have wreaked havoc in several areas after the second spell of the south-west monsoon intensified.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday and assured him of all help to deal with floods in the state while Cabinet Secretary PK Mishra held a high level meeting to review the prevailing flood situation in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Gujarat.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the alert has been sounded in northern districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and central Kerala district Idukki. Water level is rising in most of the rivers and dams across the state with Kannur, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts facing a flood-like situation. Major rivers like Manimala, Meenachal, Moovattupuzha, Chaliyar, Valapattanam, Iruvazjinjpuzha and Pamba are in spate.
“Army swung into action for the disaster relief and rescue operations in the flood-hit Wayanad and Coorg District of Tamil Nadu... One column consists of one Officer, three Junior Commissioned Officers and 55 other ranks,” officials of Home Ministry said. Besides the road transport, train service was also disrupted across the state with most of the trains getting delayed by nearly five hours. Over 2000 people have been shifted to relief campson Thursday, according to officials. The state government has asked tourists not to travel to high range areas including Idukki while restrictions have been imposed in Ponmudi,a hill station near Thiruvanathapuram.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed concern over the flood situation in some states and urged his party workers to help the affected people.
According to reports, a large number of houses were completely damaged in heavy rains and strong winds which lashed the state since Wednesday. Nilambur, a major town in Malappuram district, has been flooded, with water level rising up to the first floor of many buildings. Only roof of shops and houses could be seen in many parts of the submerged town, where people had to use country-made boats and large metal vessels to row to safety.
In Maharashtra, as many as 190 people have lost their lives and 300 injured in the rain related incidents across the 22 districts in the last few days. The administration had shifted a total of 1.32 lakh people to safer places.
The situation in rain-battered south Odisha, where fears of flood loomed large, eased as intensity of rainfall subsided and water started receding from submerged areas
In Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, a third warning signal was raised as the flood level at Gotta Barrage on River Vamsadhara crossed 1.11 lakh cusecs. Torrential rains battered hilly Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts of Tamil Nadu.
In Karnataka, 43,858 people from affected districts in northern, coastal and Malnad have been evacuated by rescue teams comprising Fire and Emergency department, State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force and Army, official sources said.
Nine people have been killed in various rain-related incidents, with Belagavi suffering the maximum casualty of six, authorities said. As many as 40,180 people have been evacuated in the district. Two persons lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Uttara Kannada district, from where 3,088 people have been evacuated till date, and one in Shivamogga, according to official figures.
In Tamil Nadu, heavy rains lashed Nilgiris, Theni, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts, filling water bodies including reservoirs in these districts.
At the high level meeting chaired by the Cabinet Secretary directed that immediate assistance be provided to the states to resolve the crisis. The IMD stated that there has been very heavy rainfall in these states over the past few days, and predicted that more rains are expected in Gujarat, Maharashtra and coastal Karnataka over the next two days.
Nearly 44,000 people have so far been evacuated from flood-hit and rain-affected areas of Karnataka.