Flood fury affects lakhs in Uttarakahand, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar; many killed

Heavy rains have caused caused landslides and floods in many parts of India with Uttarakahand, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar being worst affected.

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Lack of rain earlier in the monsoon season had led to fears of drought, but this month all that has changed. Heavy rains have caused landslides and floods in many parts of India with Uttarakahand, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar being worst affected. Uttarakhand has been the worst affected with two days of continuous rains. Over 50 people have reportedly been killed following floods and landslides in the state. The major rivers like Ganga, Nandakini and Pindar were flolwing above the danger mark. However, the weather improved across Uttarakhand on Sunday with a let-up in rain as most places received little or no showers. The major rivers are now flowing below the danger level. The Char Dham Yatra continued to be affected with the highways leading to the major shrines of Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri blocked at a number of places. 28 killed in Uttar Pradesh Twenty eight people have been killed and nearly 1500 villages in Uttar Pradesh have inundated due to heavy rains. Thousands were marooned in villages across nine districts of Uttar Pradesh, where the release of water from overflowing dams in neighbouring Nepal has added to the impact of the downpours. The Army was alerted on Monday as floods continued to wreak havoc for the second consecutive day in Uttar Pradesh, an official said. Three Army helicopters were deployed to drop food and water to the people marooned in shelters. The state government has also released Rs 51 crore for relief works. It has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh each to those who have died in the floods. Over 5 lakh [people affected in Bihar Four more districts including Belchi in Nalanda, the ancestral village of ex-Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, were under the grip of flood which has affected 5.8 lakh people in 13 districts of Bihar, officials said on Monday. Four more districts including Patna, Gopalganj, East Champaran and Sheikhpura were under the grip of flood today, Anirudh Kumar, Special Secretary in Disaster Management Department (DMD) said. 487 boats including motorboats, government country boats and private ones have been pressed into service for relief and rescue operations, Kumar said. Assam flood situation critical The flood situation in Assam turned critical with the water level of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries rising alarmingly in Upper and Central Assam districts. The rivers were overflowing in the districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Sonitpur, Nagaon, Morigaon and Dibrugarh following heavy rainfall in both Assam and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, an official report said. The Kaziranga National Park and the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary were also heavily flooded forcing hapless animals to move to highlands to protect themselves. 47 killed in Odisha According to the Odisha government, rain and floods have so far killed 47 people in the state since July. Although the situation has improved significantly, thousands of people continue to be marooned in the worst-hit Puri district.