Rain batters states of Gujarat, Maharashtra; flood condition 'stable' in Bihar and Assam

Rains battered Maharashtra leaving two people de and hundreds of ors stranded on Saturday while several rivers were in spate in Gujarat, though situation improved slightly in flood-hit eastern states of Bihar and Assam. wear depart warned that more heavy showers are expected in next 24 hours on upper west coast.

India Meteorological Department cautioned people, saying heavy rainfall warning on a "very-high-tide day" in Arabian Sea was "t a good combination". Thousands of passengers remained stranded for hours at stations between Thane and Panvel of Central Railway as train movement was hit on water-logged tracks.

Godavari river was flowing above danger mark in Nashik district. Officials asked people living along banks of rivers in state to remain alert as water from several dams h been released following heavy rains over past few days. On Friday, an IMD forecast said several areas along west coast will continue to receive moderate-to-heavy rainfall.

In Maharashtra's Thane district, a person was electrocuted while ar was seriously injured in a roof-collapse incident in Mumbra. A 30-year-old man died after he fell into a swollen nullah. Several or districts in Maharashtra received rainfall  through day. In Palghar district, more than a dozen instances of house collapse due to heavy rains were reported. Several vills were marooned and a video showed cattle getting swept away by current. Education institutes remained shut on Saturday.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation issued an visory  for Mumbai residents to t venture into sea or in water-logged areas. BMC, too, said in a tweet that a holiday has  been declared for schools and colleges in city. In afteron, train services between Kurla and Sion  were suspended due to rise in water level and high tide. Chief  spokesperson of Central Railway, Sunil Udasi, said  suburban trains were running with "cautious speed". However, flight operations at Mumbai airport were t  impacted, an airport official said.

In Gujarat, as central Vodara city recovered from ferocity of Vishwamitri river, many areas in sourn part of state, mainly Surat and Vals districts, were hit by a heavy downpour. Several rivers in Gujarat too were flowing near danger mark. Officials said four teams of NDRF have been deployed in south Gujarat region.

Between Saturday morning and afteron, Olp taluka in Surat received 298mm rainfall and Umerpa received 204mm. Dharampur in Vals district received 125 mm rains, according to State Emergency Operation Centre. "As Kim river, which flows through Surat district, crossed warning level of 11 metres, personnel of National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force were deployed to evacuate residents from low- lying areas," said District Collector Dhaval Kumar Patel. Gujarat has received 51.49 per cent of annual aver rainfall for this season till Saturday, SEOC data showed, with districts of south Gujarat receiving maximum rainfall.

On east coast, a fresh low-pressure area is likely to form over rast Bay of Bengal in next 48 hours which may bring more rainfall to Odisha and neighbouring states till August 7, an official of regional meteorological centre in Bhubaneswar said. Odisha government has issued visories to collectors of Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Nuapa districts to monitor situation as heavy rains may create flood-like situation in areas.

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However, situation in rain-battered Malkangiri improved considerably on Saturday. Floods claimed one more life in Assam on Saturday, mounting toll to 89 this season, even as overall situation improved considerably, an official report said in Guwahati. Flood-hit people started were returning to ir homes but 3,765 inmates are still lodged in 44 relief camps in Barpeta, Chirang, Morigaon, Nagaon and Jorhat districts, it said.

Flood situation remained stable in Bihar on Saturday with fresh deaths reported from any of 13 affected districts, state disaster manment department said. Death toll in floods remained unchanged at 130 for fourth consecutive day. With heavy rainfall witnessed for quite some time, water levels in half a dozen rivers -- which were in spate -- have begun to recede.

However, state water resources department said se were still flowing above danger mark at six places in Sitamarhi, Samastipur and Darbhanga districts.  Parts of Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Presh received light rainfall, though humidity level in national capital peaked towards evening. Meteorological department has issued second-highest "orange" warning for extremely heavy rainfall in Himachal Presh for Monday and a least threatening "yellow" warning for Tuesday. 

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