Shimla/Jaipur/Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy rains lashed northern states with an alert sounded in Punjab following release of excess water from Bhakra dam and the Yamuna nearing the danger mark in Delhi on Saturday, while normalcy was slowly returning to flood-ravaged Kerala, where so far 113 people have lost their lives.
Andhra Pradesh too received heavy showers, with a swollen Krishna river leaving 87 villages and hundreds of acres of farm land under a sheet of water in two districts. NDRF personnel retrieved the body of a girl who drowned in the swollen river in Krishna district, taking the death toll to two in the state.
After touching a maximum of 8.21 lakh cusecs in the early hours of the day, the flood discharge at Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada has fallen to 7.99 lakh cusecs at 10 am while the inflow remained steady at 7.57 lakh cusecs, the State Real-Time Governance Centre said.
Even the discharges from upstream reservoirs showed a declining trend but the travails of more than 17,500 people in 87 villages under 32 mandals in Krishna and Guntur districts may continue for the next two days. In all 11,553 people in the two districts have been moved to 56 relief camps where food and drinking water are being provided. State Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of Krishna, while ministers visited the marooned localities in Vijayawada city and supervised the relief measures. The body of a 17-year-old boy was found floating in the overflowing dam in Himachal Pradesh, where several roads were blocked following multiple landslides.
All educational institutions in Kangra district have also been asked to remain closed on Saturday due to incessant rainfall. Several people stranded near Palampur following flash floods were rescued.
There is heavy flow of water in Baner Khud and Baan Ganga adjoining Chamunda Ji and the water level in rivulets in Nurpur sub division is on the rise as well, an official said. In Punjab, an alert has been sounded in several districts following the release of excess water from Bhakra dam through the spill gates after heavy rainfall in its catchment area.
The Bhakra Beas Management Board authorities discharged 17,000 cusecs of excess water out of total release of 53,000 cusecs through the spill gates, an official said. The remaining 36,000 cusecs was released after its use for power generation, he added. On Saturday, rains lashed several places in Punjab, including Ludhiana, Amritsar, Mohali, Chandigarh. People living near the Sutlej river and low-lying areas have been advised to be vigilant and take precautions to safeguard themselves.
With the Yamuna also flowing near the danger level, Delhi agencies are closely monitoring the situation to deal with any possible flooding, an official said. (PTI)
