Flood situation worsens in Assam, Bihar; rain lashes Delhi

The flood situation worsened in Assam and Bihar on Sunday with five more deaths and nearly 40 lakh people affected in the two states, as another spell of monsoon rain lashed Delhi but a sultry weather prevailed in Punjab and Haryana.

The five fresh deaths raised the flood-related toll in Assam to 102. Another 26 people have died in landslides triggered by rainfall, the state disaster management authority said.

Over 24.76 lakh people are hit due to floods in 23 districts of Assam. Goalpara is the worst-hit with over 4.7 lakh people affected.

Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh spoke to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and assured him help from the Centre and the North Eastern Council to restore and repair the infrastructure damaged in floods.

Singh said the central government is constantly monitoring the flood situation in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and other affected states in the northeast. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking regular updates on the situation, he added.

In Bihar, at least 10 people have died and 15 lakh have been hit in 11 districts. Nearly 10 lakh were affected by floods till Saturday in 10 districts.

According to the state disaster management authority, Darbhanga is the worst-affected district with 5.36 lakh people either being displaced or trapped inside home.

Several rivers such as Baghmati, Burhi Gandak, Kamlabalan, Lalbakeya, Adhwara, Khiroi, Mahananda and Ghaghra have swollen dangerously due to incessant rainfall. Many trains on Muzaffarpur-Narkatiaganj and Samastipur-Darbhanga sections had to change their routes while others had to short-terminated, a railway official said.

Meanwhile, a 25-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl on board an NDRF rescue boat plying on the swollen Burhi Gandak river in East Champaran district. The woman was rescued from her marooned house when she developed severe labour pain and later delivered the baby, NDRF officials said.

The mother and the newborn girl have been admitted to a public health facility and they are stable. A total of 21 NDRF teams are deployed in northern Bihar. Light-to-moderate rainfall lashed parts of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted an aerial survey of the areas inundated by heavy rainfall in Gorakhpur district and asked officials to ensure safety of all dams. He directed the district administration to ensure adequate deployment of boats in flood-affected areas.

The India Meteorological Department said thunderstorms and rain drenched parts of central and northeast Delhi, Shahdara, Mundaka, Rohini, Bawana and adjoining areas.

Sporadic rains will continue in Delhi-NCR and UP on Monday, the weatherman said. Thereafter, widespread rains are likely in northwest India, including Delhi-NCR, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A sultry weather prevailed in Haryana and Punjab, with the maximum temperature hovering slightly above normal in the states. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a high of 35.4 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal.

In Haryana, Hisar recorded a maximum temperature of 36 degrees Celsius. In Punjab, Patiala recorded a maximum temperature of 36.3 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal.

(Photo Credit: PTI)