Floods affect several states in India, displace millions of residents

Heavy monsoon rains have brought lives to a standstill across several states in India. Incessant rains continue to displace millions of residents, especially in the north and the east. Over the last one month, landslides and floods caused by heavy rainfall wreaked havoc across the country affecting various states such as Assam, Bihar, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Orissa and many more. Indian government has started relief work throughout the nation. 

Assam

The flood situation in Assam and Bihar remained grim with 15 more deaths reported on Monday, even as two persons died and three others are feared to have been washed away in rain-related incidents in Uttarakhand and Maharashtra since July 31. While the death toll in lightning strikes in Odisha in the last 24 hours climbed from 32 to 45, taking the overall number of casualties to 74.

Moreover, floods in Assam have claimed 28 lives since July 17 and forced over 1.25 lakh people to take shelter in relief camps, according to a report by the State Disaster Management Authority. According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), three more deaths were reported in the state taking the toll to 34. Two persons were killed at Bilasipara and Chapar in Dhubri district, while one death was reported in Barpeta town.

More than 2 lakh hectares of crops have been damaged in 23 districts due to the breaching of the embankments of Brahmaputra. The current situation, which has affected over 1.1 million people, follows the disruption caused by pre-monsoon floods in April and May. 

Authorities are running 366 relief camps and distribution centres, where over 1.25 lakh people have taken shelter. More than one lakh hectares of crop area are under flood water across the state. 

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, accompanied by Minster for Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) Jitendra Singh and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonwal, conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of the state. In all, 14 NDRF flood rescue teams have been deployed and 64 boats pressed into service in Assam. 

Besides, carcass of a female rhino was found with its horn intact near Amkatoni camp in the flooded Kaziranga National Park (KNP). So far, 13 rhinos have died due to drowning in the floods which have so far also claimed lives of 15 hog deer, two wild boars and two snakes, officials said. Kaziranga floods wreak havoc; 250 animals perish including 20 one-horned rhinos>

Over 100 wild animals, including 10 one-horned rhinos, swamp deers and hog deers have been rescued.

The Brahmaputra River is flowing above danger mark at Nematighat in Jorhat and Dhubri town, while its tributaries Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat and Beki at Road Bridge in Barpeta are flowing above the normal level. The rising water level of the Brahmaputra has flooded 85 per cent of KNP.

Surveyed huge damages caused by #Floods in Arunachal Pradesh & Assam. Central Forces are working with State team. pic.twitter.com/YAC7yMmKEf

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) July 30, 2016

Bihar 

In Bihar, 12 more deaths were reported from Katihar district talking the toll to 38, as 28.20 lakh people in 12 districts were affected. Fed by heavy rains in the Terai region of Nepal, the Ganga river at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district remained above danger mark.

The overall weather conditions in Bihar, especially in Patna, remained humid. Light rainfall was witnessed at a few places in North West, North Central and South Central parts of the state since yesterday.

Uttarakhand

In Uttarakhand, a 20-year-old engineering student drowned in Tons river near Dehradun following heavy rains, while landslides in most parts of the state led to traffic disruptions. Nainital was lashed by 132.08 mm rains since yesterday.

Rishikesh-Badrinath and Rishikesh-Gangotri highways are blocked for the last four days affecting Chardham Yatra.

West Bengal

Around 100 houses were washed away on Saturday due to erosion in river Ganga near Farakka barrage while 31 villages were submerged in flood waters of Fullara river affecting 22,000 people in Malda district, officials said. 

Additional District Magistrate (Land Reforms) Kanchan Chowdhury said 100 odd houses of Birnagar locality in Kaliachak III block were lost in the Ganga in a sudden erosion on Saturday morning. The river breached a two km stretch of an embankment and took just an hour to destroy the area in which those houses were standing. 

Delhi- NCR

In Delhi NCR, thousands of office goers and other commuters were stranded in Gurgaon as heavy rains led to waterlogging on National Highway-8 on Thursday for over 16 hours. This has led to massive traffic jams, forcing Gurgaon authorities to shut down schools and a few offices declaring a holiday. Many motorists abandoned their vehicles and waded through knee-deep water which accumulated on both the sides of Delhi-Jaipur road, bringing traffic to a standstill, with the tailback extending up to 15-20 kilometers. 

Uttar Pradesh 

Heavy downpour continued in Uttar Pradesh with many rivers, including Ganga and Sharda, flowing near or above the danger mark, creating flood-like situations in several villages.