As rain continues to wreck havoc situation remained grim in Northern and Eastern India due to floods. Several thousand people are affected in Uttarakhand and Odisha 
with Centre issuing flood warning for UP.
Heavy rains continue in Himachal, 2 killed
Two persons were killed on Saturday as heavy rains continued to lash many places in Himachal Pradesh triggering landslides causing road blockades, damaging property and inundating agricultural lands.
The two persons identified as Devi Singh and Yash Pal were buried alive when the jeep in which they were travelling was buried by debris of landslide near Larji Dam in Mandi district.
Rain-related incidents have left 12 persons dead including four persons who were washed away in Sheer Khud at Jahu and four who died in flashfloods near Nadaun on Friday.
A cloudburst occurred in Dehra area of Kangra damaging half a dozen cowsheds and five heads of cattle perished, but there was no loss of human life, officials said.
A tree uprooted by a landslide damaged the rain shelter in Shimla and a car was buried under the debris. All the rivers and their tributaries in lower hills are in spate due to rise in water level.
The monsoon rain defict has come down from 36 per cent to 27 per cent during the past 48 hours. Bharwara was wettest in the region with 169 mm rains while Mandi and Sundernagar recorded 135 mm and 131 mm rains, followed by Bhoranj 120 mm, Nagrota Suriyan 116 mm, Amb 92 mm, Una and Renuka 90 mm, Bangana 85 mm, Jubbar Hatti 84 mm, Dehra Gopipur 78 mm, Nahan and Dharampur 75 mm, Mehre 74 mm, Sunni Bhajji 65 mm, Shimla 62 mm and Dharampur 60 mm.
The maximum temperatures remained steady in the region and Bhuntar recorded 31.6 degrees Celsius followed by Sundernagar 29.9, Solan 27, Dharamsala 26.8, Nahan26.1, Shimla 24.4 and Kalpa22.2 degrees Celsius.
The local MeT office has predicted light to moderate rains at isolated places in mid and lower hills during next two days.
Thousands affected in Bihar flood, evacuation on
Thousands of people in Darbhanga, West Champaran and Nalanda districts in Bihar have been affected by floods after rivers flowing through these districts breached their embankments.
Floods occurred in Darbhanga and West Champaran districts after breaches developed in the embankments of Kamla Balan and Gandak rivers respectively, while in Nalanda it was due to the overflowing of Panchane river.
Rescue operations have been launched and the Chief Secretary and other top officials made an aerial survey today to assess the situation.
“A clear picture of the situation would emerge only after the aerial survey is complete, and then only we would be able to say anything,” Disaster Management Department (DMD) Principal Secretary Vyasji said over phone.
DMD Special Secretary Anirudh Kumar said around 45,000 people have been affected by flood in Darbhanga district alone.
Terming the situation in Nalanda district as “grim”, the DMD official said Sarmera, Asthawan and Rahui blocks had been severely affected and thousands of people in danger were is being evacuated.
Kumar said rescue and relief work has begun in West Champaran district.
Four teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were coming from Kolkata to assist the eight other teams already present in Bihar, he said.
Water Resources Department minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhury told PTI, irresponsibility and laxity by executive engineers and other officials were suspected in the breaches in Darbhanga and West Champaran districts because they had been earlier directed to be there to protect the embankments.
“The Executive Engineer of our department and his subordinates in Darbhanga district are being suspended because of showing laxity in the matter. The breach happened despite our officials being there.
We are conducting a probe in the breach in Gandak embankment and irresponsible officers will be suspended,” Chaudhary said.
The minister said there was around an eight metre-long breach in the embankment of Kamla Balan at Kumhraul near Ghanshyampur in Darbhanga district and flood water has affected over 20 villages in the area.
“We are trying to protect the ‘cut-ends’ of the embankment and will go for plugging the breach once the water level goes down,” he said.
“Two teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and two of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are conducting rescue and relief operations for the people trapped in the waters of Kamla Balan. They are being brought to relief camps,” the DMD Special Secretary said. The minister said the breach in Gandak embankment near Ratwalpur at Bagaha in West Champaran district occurred today afternoon and the team of engineers and officials was still in the process of assessing the situation and spread of water.
“As far as Nalanda district is concerned, flood has taken place due to water overflowing of the Panchane river.
There was heavy rainfall over the last few days and the area has no system of embankments,” Chaudhary said.
Chaudhary said Chief Engineers have been sent to monitor and control the breaches at both the places.
He also said Bihar Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Disaster Management Department (DMD) Principal Secretary Vyasji and WRD Secretary Dipak Kumar Singh have gone on aerial survey to assess the flood situation.
“We are running 60 relief camps in the three flooded areas. People brought to them are being given food. Cash relief grant and food grains will also be provided to them,” the DMD Special Secretary said.
Flood warning in UP as Rapti flows above danger level
The Centre on Saturday issued a warning of “high flood situation” in Uttar Pradesh after water in the Rapti river rose above the danger level.
“River Rapti in Balrampur district of UP is now flowing in high flood situation.
At 1800 hours on Saturday, it was flowing at a level of 104.99 metres with a rising trend,” said a statement issued by Ministry of Water Resources here.
The river was flowing at 0.37 metres above the danger level of 104.62 metres and 0.46 metres below its previous highest flood level (HFL) of 105.25 metres recorded on September 11, 2000, it said.
At 0800 hour on Saturday, it was flowing at a level of 104.79 metres, the release added.
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth on Friday took stock of the preparedness in the wake of floods in Nepal.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have also been kept ready for rescue operations in Nepal, if required.
Three helicopters have been kept on the stand by at Gorakhpur for this purpose, it said.
Flood situation in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and recent heavy rains and cloudburst in Uttarakhand were also reviewed by NCMC with the state governments.