By PTI
NEW DELHI: At least 14 people were killed in rain-related incidents in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh and thousands were moved to safety as heavy downpour lashed parts of west and central India on Monday.
Three persons were missing in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district after heavy rains and incessant downpour led to a rise in water levels of several rivers in Nashik district, where many temples, located on the bed of the Godavari river, were submerged.
Officials said three persons were swept away in overflowing nullahs in the last three days and their bodies were fished out later.
However, three more persons are still missing after being swept away in the nullah , they said.
Mumbai and its adjoining areas also received moderate showers on Monday.
After eluding the capital for over a week, rains lashed parts of Delhi on Monday afternoon bringing temporary relief from the muggy weather conditions.
However, by evening, the weather again turned humid.
Moderate rainfall occurred at most places in Rajasthan while isolated places received heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours ending Monday morning, weather officials said.
At least seven people were killed as heavy rains pounded several parts of south and central Gujarat districts, causing a flood-like situation in many areas, while over 9,000 people were relocated and 468 rescued.
In south Gujarat, Dang, Navsari, Tapi, and Valsad districts were affected while the rain-hit districts in central Gujarat are Panchmahal, Chhota Udepur, and Kheda.
The Met department issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rains in Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi and Surat during the next five days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured Gujarat of all possible help from the Centre.
“Seven persons died in rain-related incidents in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll due to rain-related incidents like lightning, drowning, wall collapse etc in Gujarat to 63 since June 1,” state Disaster Management Minister Rajendra Trivedi said.
He said 18 platoons each of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed at strategic locations for rescue and relief operations as and when required.
A total of 5,278 people in Chhota Udepur district, 2,902 in Navsari and 469 in Valsad and a few more in other rain-affected districts were shifted from flooded areas to safer places, out of which 3,821 stayed while others returned home after the water receded, he said.
In Madhya Pradesh, the Met department issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in 33 of 52 districts of the state, while lightning amid steady downpour claimed seven lives in the last 24 hours.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said very heavy rainfall in the 64.5 to 204.4 mm range was likely to lash 33 districts.
An official from the revenue department said lightning strikes at various places killed seven persons in a 24-hour period ending at 2:30 pm on Monday, which took the statewide death toll from such incidents to 60 since June 1.
“The seven deaths in the last 24 hours comprised two in Mandla, and one each in Ashok Nagar, Datia, Guna, Narsinghpur and Narmadapurman,” the official added.
IMD data showed Pachmarhi, the state’s lone hill station, received 103.2 mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period ending 8:30 AM on Monday.
It also showed that Raisen, Betul, Narmadapuram, Jabalpur, Chhindwara, Bhopal, Gwalior and Indore received 86.4 mm, 72.6 mm, 70.4 mm, 55.0 mm, 55.0 mm, 46.4 mm, 21.9 mm and 17.2 mm rainfall, respectively, during this period.
In Maharashtra, three persons were missing in Gadchiroli district after heavy rains.
Heavy showers continued to lash Nashik district, causing a rise in water levels of several rivers and submerging many temples located on the bed of the Godavari river.
The IMD has issued a ‘red’ alert for Nashik district till July 14, forecasting heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours.
Pune district, too, has been witnessing heavy rains since the last few days.
In Gadchiroli district in eastern Maharashtra, three persons were swept away in overflowing nullahs in the last three days and their bodies were fished out later, said a release issued by the District Information Office (DIO).
In Gadchiroli, as many as 353 people from 129 places affected by heavy rains have been shifted to safer places, it said.
In the last 24 hours, Surgana in Nashik district received the highest rainfall at 238.8 mm, followed by Peth at 187.6 mm and Trimbakeshwar at 168 mm, an official said.
Light to moderate rains also lashed Mumbai and its neighbouring areas on Monday, but there was no report of water-logging anywhere in the metropolis, civic officials said.
The IMD has predicted moderate rainfall in the city and its suburbs over the next 24 hours, with a possibility of heavy showers at isolated places, they said.
A landslide occurred on a road leading to the famous Bhimashankar temple in Pune district in the early hours of Monday following heavy rains, officials said.
Meanwhile, an official bulletin on Monday said over 3.79 lakh people are still reeling under floods across 10 districts of Assam, which was battered by heavy spells of rain last month.
According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), no death due to drowning was reported during the day, with the toll in this year’s flood and landslides standing at 192.
Amid heavy rains in its catchment areas, water will be discharged from the Khadakwasla dam in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Monday night, an irrigation department official said.
He said the collective water storage in four dams – Panshet, Warasgaon, Tembhar and Khadakwasla, that provide water to Pune city, stood at over 9 TMC (32.48) per cent.
“Owing to heavy rains in catchment areas of the Khadakwasla dam, the water level is over 75 per cent till Monday evening. With the water level rising, water will be released at 1,000 Cusecs (one cubic foot per second) in the Mutha river at 11.30 pm on Monday,” the official said.
Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department predicted overcast conditions for the Pune area on Tuesday and Wednesday with moderate to isolated heavy rains and very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in the ghat areas.
“With cloud covering Pune district and Pune city, the monsoon will be vigorous and will continue till July 14. Water logging and inundation may take place in low-lying areas,” said an IMD official.
Meanwhile, at least 16 incidents of trees falling and uprooting were reported in Pune city, Fire Brigade officials said.
A portion of an old wada (big house with many rooms) collapsed in the Somwar Peth area, but no one was injured in the incident.
As many as 83 people have died in rain-related incidents in Maharashtra between June 1 and July 10, the state disaster management authority said in a report on Monday.
The report said 164 animals, too, have perished during the same period in rain-related incidents.
Nashik district in North Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of deaths at 12 followed by Nagpur (four).
These deaths were caused by incidents like floods, lightning strikes, landslides, falling of trees and collapse of structures, among others, it said.
Chandrapur, Parbhani, Osmanabad, Hingoli, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Sangli, Solapur, Raigad, Thane and Mumbai did not record any fatality since the beginning of the monsoon last month, the report said.
Several parts of the state, including Mumbai and its adjoining areas, witnessed heavy rainfall between June 1 and July 10.
Heavy rains continued to lash Nashik district on Monday, causing a rise in water levels of several rivers and submerging many temples located on the bed of the Godavari river, officials said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘red’ alert for Nashik district till July 14, forecasting heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours.
Pune and Gadchiroli districts, too, have been witnessing downpour rains since the last few days.
After four straight days of downpour last week, Mumbai has been witnessing light to moderate rainfall.
