NEW DELHI, Jul 29: Heavy rains flooded many parts in Rajasthan and triggered landslides in Himachal Pradesh while three more deaths were reported in West Bengal, where the situation improved slightly.
In Assam too, flood waters were receding in all but six districts. More than two thousand people are still in various relief camps.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Assam on August 1 to review matters related to the recent floods which has claimed 79 lives so far.
Clear skies prevailed in the national capital with the maximum temperature settling at 35.1 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season’s average.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 27.3 degrees Celsius, the MeT department official said.
The city received 4.9 mm rains till 8.30 AM.
In Rajasthan, heavy rainfall and water released from the Jawai Dam have flooded parts of Jalore and neighbouring areas, officials said.
More than 70,000 cusec of water were released from the dam – the largest in western Rajasthan – yesterday evening.
Heavy downpour also affected normal life in the adjoining Pali and Sirohi districts, where many villages are on high alert and relief and rescue operations are on.
“Of the total 13 gates, 11 were opened last night to discharge water. Seven gates were closed in the morning and four are still open,” said Vinod Kumar Malhotra, sub- divisional magistrate (SDM) of Sumerpur town in Pali district.
The water level in the dam was 59 feet at present.
“Many villages in Jalore are flooded, and some roads have been washed away. Relief work is underway,” L N Soni, the Collector of Jalore, said.
“People in several hundred villages in Pali, Sirohi and Jalore had been affected by the flood-like situation,” the district collector said.
In many villages, people were being rescued from their rooftops by the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), he added.
“Rescue operations are being carried out,” Hemant Gera, Secretary of state Disaster Management and Relief department said.
Chittoragarh recorded a maximum of 129 millimetres till this morning, followed by Rawatbhata, which received 104.9 mm of rain, and Mount Abu, which recorded 101 mm of rain.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas of Pali and Sirohi districts.
In Odisha, fresh areas of Jajpur, Kendrapara and Dhenkanal districts were inundated, prompting authorities to rush Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) for rescue operations.
The flood situation remained unchanged in Balasore district.
About 130 villages have been inundated in the current spate of floods and over 1,50,000 people affected.
“ODRAF team rescued at least 30 people from the flood waters Bari block of Jajpur district,” SRC B P Sethi said, adding that rescue operation was also carried out at Mirzapur under the block.
Assam Governor Banwarilal Purohit has contributed one month’s salary to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in aid for the flood-affected people in the state, a Raj Bhawan spokesman said.
The flood situation improved marginally in West Bengal today even as three more persons died in the past 24 hours taking the toll to thirty-one, an official said.
The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) released less water. The situation in 11 flood-hit districts of the state slightly improved, he said.
At the moment, over 23 lakh people have been hit in over 165 villages inundated by heavy rains and the water released by the DVC, he said.
Around 2,067 relief camps have been opened in flood-hit districts of the state where close to 45,000 people have taken shelter.
Meanwhile, an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter this morning rescued nine members of a family from a house in West Midnapore district’s Ghatal area.
One IAF helicopter distributed 500 kgs of relief materials including medicines, food and water pouches in the flood-hit areas of the state.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the flood situation in the state has improved.
“The flood situation has got better from earlier but the problem will rise if it rains and more water is released (from the DVC). Many persons have been rescued from Ghatal,” Banerjee said at the state secretariat.
Weather remained comparatively hot and humid in Bihar.
Patna recorded maximum temperature of 33.9 degrees Celsius, the MeT office said.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General Sanjay Kumar took stock of flood situations in Bihar and Jharkhand and deployment of NDRF for relief and rehabilitation work in the two states.
The DG NDRF was briefed about flood situation and deployment of his personnel at headquarters of 9th Battalion NDRF campus Bihar in the outskirts of Patna.
Heavy rains lashed several parts of Himachal Pradesh as monsoon remained active in mid and lower hills of the state.
The rains triggered landslides in the interior areas of Kullu, Mandi, Kangra and Shimla districts, disrupting traffic in interior areas.
The lower hills in Himachal had widespread heavy rains and Bhoranj was wettest with 136 mm rains while Gohar and Dehra Gopipur recorded 133 mm and 109 mm rains.
Sultry weather conditions continued to prevail at most places in Punjab and Haryana.
Union Territory Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius, as per the MeT department report. (PTI)
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