New Delhi: Nearly 110 people died in rain-related incidents across the country in the past four days, with Uttar Pradesh reporting the maximum deaths, while incessant rainfall in Bihar has badly hit normal life, with almost all areas of capital city Patna under knee-deep waters and people struggling to meet their daily needs.
In what the weather department said could be the longest delayed withdrawal of Monsoon, rains continued to lash several states including Bihar, where at least 13 people have died over the past 48 hours, while large swathes were inundated, affecting railway traffic, healthcare services, schools and disrupting power supply. In Uttar Pradesh, at least 79 people have died since Thursday.
According to a state government report, 25 people died on Saturday, 18 lost their lives on Friday and 36 the day before. In Gujarat, three women drowned after their car was swept away at a flooded causeway in Rajkot district on Sunday following heavy rains in several parts of Saurashtra region, officials said. As many as 13 deaths were also reported on Saturday from Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in incidents triggered by heavy rains.
More rain predicted
Meanwhile, IMD Director General Mritunjay Mohapatra said on Sunday that the four-month monsoon season which is officially ending on Monday is unlikely to withdraw even till the weekend.
The IMD said active monsoon still prevails over parts of Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. In hard-hit Bihar, a bird’s eye view of state capital Patna made the city appear like a huge lake dotted with concrete structures. Posh low-lying areas like Rajendra Nagar and Pataliputra Colony are flooded.
NDRF carries out rescue mission
Private hospitals, medical stores and other shops were submerged in waist-deep water. While people waded through the waterlogged streets, boats of Nation Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were also out in some areas of the city rescuing residents. According to the weather department, the state capital has received more than 200 mm of rainfall since Friday evening, which Disaster Management Department Principal Secretary Pratyay Amrit described as “totally unexpected”.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, after from a video conference with district magistrates, told reporters, “We are making all possible efforts. I would appeal to the people of the state to have patience and courage.” “In the event of water entering a sub-station, power has to be disconnected to avoid major casualties. Sump houses then become dependent on diesel. But the availability of fuel is finite and if heavy rainfall persists, pumping out water from inundated streets could be hampered drastically,” Disaster Management Department Principal Secretary Pratyay Amrit said.
Trains disrupted
Train services on the Ballia-Chhapra section of the North Eastern Railway (NER) was disrupted due to heavy rain on Sunday. Public Relations Officer, NER, Mahesh Gupta said seven trains on this section has been cancelled, while six trains have been diverted. In Kolkata also, several streets have been waterlogged due to heavy rains.
The East Central Railway, headquartered in Hajipur, said close to 30 trains have been cancelled and many others short-terminated or diverted on account of the flooding of Patna and Danapur junctions and many other smaller stations.
BSF personnel drowns
In J&K, a 54-year-old sub inspector of the BSF is suspected to have drowned in a swollen river along the International Border (IB) in Jammu, officials said on Sunday. They said the Border Security Force has launched a massive search operation and also intimated their Pakistani counterparts after Sub-Inspector (SI) Paritosh Mondal went missing from the bank of a river near the Jaikishan post in Arnia sector on Saturday around 6 pm. (PTI)
