Even as the United Progressive Alliance chairperson Ms Sonia Gandhi is slated to tour flood affected areas in Assam and Bihar today a flood-like situation has been reported in Goa with the Chief Minister Digamber Kamat ordering a state of alert on Monday.

“Last evening, the situation was alarming... There was little respite in the night... We have put all the machinery on alert,” Kamat told reporters after the cabinet meeting on Monday.

The rains, accompanied by strong winds, have wrecked havoc in some parts of the coastal state.

Stating that he was constantly monitoring the situation, Kamat said he was in touch with the District Collectors. “The government will seek funds under Central natural calamity fund and we will chip in with equal fund for those who are affected by the rains,” the Chief Minister said.

Heavy showers lashed the tiny coastal state for last three days which continued till Monday morning.

Flood gates of Anjunem dam, located on Goa-Karnataka border within Goa limits, were released further inundating the downstream low lying areas.

Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil will be on a day-long visit to Bihar today for an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president Sadanand Singh said.

Expressing displeasure over alleged inadequate relief efforts by the Bihar government for the flood victims, the Patna High Court on Monday directed the government to involve non-governmental organisations in its relief work.

A Division Bench comprising Justices Narayan Roy and K K Mandal said, citing a TV channel report, that NGOs willing to contribute to relief effort were not being involved.

Stating that even the international bodies like the UNICEF had pitched in to mitigate the suffering of the flood-hit, the bench observed there was a pressing need to take the services of the local NGOs in tackling the problem of insufficient relief.