Incessant rains have wreaked havoc in many states this year. Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka have been worst hit by the monsoon rains. Other states which too have been affected are Uttarakhand, Assam, Odisha and the eastern part of India.
Kerala:
Even as the scars of last year’s floods are yet to fade away, Kerala witnesses flooding in several districts this year too. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains in the state till August 14. Red alerts have been issued in Idukki, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kozhikode districts. Barring the state capital district and neighbouring Kollam, the remaining 12 districts have been affected by rains.
Rainfall data for Kerala, Thrissur District. Yesterday and today (till 8am) rainfall data. Source: Skymet AWS#Kerala #keralarains #KeralaRain #keralaflood #KeralaFloods #KeralaFloods2019 pic.twitter.com/uUajxRz1ZE
— SkymetWeather (@SkymetWeather) August 9, 2019
A total of 28 people have been reported dead since the onset of the South West Monsoon on June 6, which arrived a week late. Over 22,000 have been evacuated to 315 relief camps.
Update on relief camps (As of 07:00 AM 9/8/2019): 315 flood relief camps have been opened across the State. These camps now host 22165 persons from 5936 families. Wayanad has the most number of camps-105. pic.twitter.com/4OaGYhlkZr
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) August 9, 2019
Flight operations have been stopped till 3 pm on Sunday due to heavy rain, airport officials said today. The water level in the Periyar river and a canal near the airport has been rising. Flight operations were stopped till 9 am today, but it had to be extended after the apron area at the Kochi airport got flooded, Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) posted on its Facebook page.
Schools and colleges are shut in all 14 districts of the southern state today, except state capital Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam.
A massive landslide has been reported from Meppadi in the hilly Wayanad district where, according to a legislator, a temple, church, couple of houses and a few vehicles have come under the soil and several people feared to be missing. Around 60 people rescued and evacuated from Wayanad landslide area by the NDRF. It should take 10-12 hours for operations to complete. The landslide extends up to 2 km.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought the army’s help and additional 13 more units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for the relief and rescue operations.
Army deployed from Pangode military station Thiruvananthapuram. Total 3 columns deployed at:
- Alappuzha: Headed by Lt Col
- Pathanamthitta: Headed by Major
- Ernakulam: Headed by Major
Click here to donate to Chief Minister’s relief fund.
Karnataka:
Karnataka has also been flooding due to incessant rain since last two days as a result of which subsequent landslides were reported at various places along Charmadi Ghat. Traffic movement was prohibited and schools and colleges continued to remain shut.
At least nine people have died in the flood-affected state till date. Around 16,875 people and 3,010 animals have been shifted to 272 relief camps opened in the state. Nearly 44,000 people have been evacuated from 51 flood-hit taluks, with about 40,180 from Belagavi alone.
The rescue teams, including personnel from Fire and Emergency, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Army, have been moving people from flood-affected areas to safety.
Indian Air Force teams carried out flood relief operations in Belagavi, Karnataka. A total of 25 civilians have been rescued by winching from Roggi, Halolli, Udhagatti and Girdal. Around 475 food packets along with drinking water were dropped in affected areas by the IAF.
#KarnatakaFloods : Indian Air Force teams carry out flood relief operations in Belagavi. A total of 25 civilians have been rescued by winching from Roggi, Halolli, Udhagatti & Girdal. Around 475 food packets along with drinking water dropped in affected areas. pic.twitter.com/APLywWeDwV
— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2019
Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has said that Mysuru to Madikeri and Mysuru to HD Kote Road is closed due to heavy rains and water overflowing.
A total of 16 Columns and 12 Engineer Task Forces comprising of almost 1,000 Army personnel have been employed in Belagavi, Bagalkot and Raichur district of Karnataka and Raigad, Kohlapur and Sangli district of Maharashtra to carry out flood relief operations.
The Chief Minister of Karnataka has also appealed to people to donate to the relief fund.
Request all citizens to lend a helping hand to the people in distress due to floods in the State by contributing generously to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund – Natural Calamity #CMRF #KarnatakaFloods #NorthKarnatakaFloods pic.twitter.com/KtMSfBaf2y
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) August 8, 2019
The Met department has also confirmed that the situation in Karnataka is improving. No more red alert for Belagavi from August 10 and no more red alert for all districts in Karnataka from Aug 11. They have been reduced to yellow alert said the Met department.
Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa visited relief camps in Mudhol on Friday.
Maharashtra:
Incessant rains have created a havoc in Maharashtra too. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) continued the rescue operations in Maharashtra on Friday. As many as 27 people have died due to floods in five districts of Pune division while more than two lakh people have been evacuated to safer places from three districts of Kolhapur, Sangli, and Satara in Maharashtra.
Only rooftops and trees are visible from a highway near Kolhapur in Maharashtra, which has been flooded for days after heavy rain that has completely cut off essential supplies and damaged thousands of homes. The road to Kolhapur city has partly vanished underwater. The Panchganga river that flows nearby has flooded the city.
At least 32 teams of the NDRF have been deployed for emergency response in the state. Apart from Kohlapur, the NDRF teams are also pre-positioned in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Nashik, Raigarh, Satara, Sindhudurg, Sangli and Nagpur districts of Maharashtra.
#Maharashtrafloods: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams continue rescue operation in Kolhapur. pic.twitter.com/L0nshBWSlM
— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2019
As many as 12 rescue teams of Indian Navy have left last night for Sangli by road in state government transport after the Airlift was aborted due to unfavourable weather condition in Kolhapur and Sangli. Police escorts were provided for a green corridor till Sangli, tweeted Spokesperson of the Indian Navy.
The Maharashtra government is likely to release more water from the dams over the Krishna and Bhima rivers as several districts in the western parts of the state were inundated by floodwaters.
Click here to donate to Chief Minister’s relief fund.
Uttarakhand:
A woman and her seven-year-old daughter have been swept away after a flooded rivulet inundated their house in Chamoli district on Friday following heavy rains which destroyed crops, houses, cowsheds and bridges.
Uttarakhand: One woman and a child died in a cloudburst which has occurred in Padmalla and Faldiya Gaon village of Dewal block in Chamoli district. About 10 houses of the vaillages have been damaged in the incident. Rescue team and district administration are present at the spot. pic.twitter.com/eSYMCTXnVr
— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2019
Meanwhile, heavy monsoon rain has also affected Odisha, where over 6,000 people have been displaced according to disaster authorities.
As per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the next two days will see more rains in Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
