The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted heavy rains in several northern and eastern states, where flash floods have already claimed several lives, inundated farms, and destroyed residential areas.
The weather agency has issued ‘orange’ and ‘red’ alerts for Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh, respectively, warning of heavy rainfall on Friday that could potentially worsen the flood situation.
This prediction comes amidst a significant increase in rainfall over North and Northeast India, including Delhi-NCR and East Uttar Pradesh.
In Uttar Pradesh, devastating floods have impacted 12 districts, affecting over 8 lakh people and submerging thousands of acres of agricultural land. Casualties have been reported from several districts due to lightning strikes. Rescue and relief efforts are underway, with authorities evacuating more than 10,000 people to safer locations. Key infrastructure such as railway lines and bridges have been severely affected, exacerbating the challenges faced by local residents.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Shravasti on Thursday.
CM Yogi also distributed relief material to the people in flood-affected areas of Shravasti.
Notably, many villages in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri have been affected by the overflow of water from the Sharda River due to heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand. Houses have been damaged in affected villages and people have been forced to shift in makeshift houses
In Assam, floods have caused extensive damage, affecting over 14 lakh people across 27 districts. The Kaziranga National Park has also been hit hard, resulting in the tragic loss of 107 wild animals. Road traffic remains disrupted due to rising water levels, compounding the difficulties in relief operations.
The flood situation remains grim in Assam’s Nagaon district, affecting the lives of several people. The deluge has claimed 84 lives so far across the state.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), in Nagaon district, nearly 79,000 people, including 20,612 children, are still affected by the deluge.
The flood waters inundated 184 villages under six revenue circles in the district and submerged 18231.8 hectares of crop area.
The IMD has additionally issued alerts for Konkan, Goa, and parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Karnataka, where heavy rainfall is expected to persist in the coming days.