19 more die in Bihar floods, 6.9 lakh people evacuated

Flood fury continued in Bihar with 19 more people perishing taking the toll this season to 198, even as some parts of north India received light to moderate rainfall and the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh mild snowfall.

The 19 fresh deaths were reported from five districts.

Patna accounted for the maximum 10 deaths, followed by Saran six, and one each in Lakhisarai, Samastipur and Begusarai, a statement by the Disaster Management Department said.

The flood has been caused mainly by the swollen Ganga, apart from other rain-fed rivers like Sone, Punpun, Burhi Gandak, Ghaghra, Kosi, affecting 41.90 lakh people in 2,179 villages of 12 districts.

So far, 6.96 lakh people have been evacuated from these districts.

According to the Water Resources Department, the Ganga is witnessing a receding trend at Digha ghat, Gandhi ghat and Hathidah in Patna district and other places in Buxar, Munger and Bhagalpur districts.

But it is still flowing above danger mark at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district. Temperatures remained at comfortable level in Patna and other parts of the state due to light rains, even as humidity remained high.

Patna received 6.3 mm rains since on Friday and recorded a maximum temperature of 33.4 degrees Celsius. In Himachal Pradesh, high altitude areas recorded mild snowfall while Palampur received moderate rainfall.

Una was the hottest in the region recording a maximum temperature of 34.6 degrees Celsius, while Shimla recorded a high of 23.5 degrees Celsius.

In the national capital, the maximum temperature settled at 34.4 degrees Celsius which is considered normal for the ongoing season. The minimum temperature was recorded at 25 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal.

Light to moderate rains and thundershowers occurred at a few places in eastern Uttar Pradesh and at isolated places over western parts of the state.

In West Bengal, the capital city and the districts witnessed widespread rainfall along with thundershower under the influence of the cyclonic circulation.

The MeT department warned of widespread rainfall across the state in the next two days under the influence of a developing low pressure in northwestern part of Bay of Bengal. "It is still a cyclonic circulation and is likely to form a low pressure.

The indication is that the depression is likely to be formed in the north western part of Bay of Bengal, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand," IMD Kolkata director G K Das said.

In Punjab and Haryana, joint capital Chandigarh recorded maximum temperature of 33 degrees Celsius. Ambala and Amritsar recorded a high of 32.5 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius.