JOIN USUP flood situation worsens; toll over 100
Heavy monsoon rain and swelling rivers worsened the flood situation in Uttar Pradesh, while forecast of more showers and rough weather on the coastal regions in Kerala has prompted six district administrations in the state to declare Thursday a holiday for educational institutions.
Thousands of people have been displaced in many districts of UP, with the floods also claiming over hundred lives and damaging standing crops and livestock. On Wednesday, official sources here said heavy rains have been recorded in eastern districts of Kushinagar, Gorakhpur, Siddharth Nagar and Maharajganj in the last 24 hours.
While Kushinagar received 81 mm rainfall, Gorakhpur recorded 68 mm, reports said. Baharaich recorded the maximum 89 mm of rains since Tuesday, with the weather department forecasting more rains.
Companies of the provincial arms constabulary (PAC) have been pressed into service at many places to rescue stranded people. At least 13 districts of the state had been badly hit by the floods, officials said.
The situation was particularly grave in Lakhimpur Kheri, Baharaich, Siddharth Nagar, Barabanki and Maharajganj, reports said. Almost all the major rivers were flowing above the danger mark in the flood affected districts.
“The situation will worsen if the rains continued'', the officials warned.
Meanwhile in Kerala, the Meteorological Centre at Thiruvananthapuram has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall (exceeding 13 cm) at isolated places in the state till Friday, prompting collectors of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kannur, Kozhikode and Idukki to declare Thursday as a holiday for educational institutions.
The Met centre has also predicted strong onshore winds along the state’s coast.
Vaikom, Piravom, Vadakara, Alappuzha and Ottappalam have recorded heavy rainfall on Wednesday. In Thiruvananthapuram, a temple priest was crushed under a falling tree.
Over the past seven days, only Kasaragod has recorded deficient rainfall, while Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Malappuram, Palakkad and Pathanamthitta have recorded excess rainfall.
In fact, all the 14 districts in the state have recorded excess rainfall since the onset of the south-west monsoon on June 1.