Floods in Assam, Bihar claim 55 lives, over 70 lakh people affected; red alert sounded in Kerala

New Delhi: The flood fury continued in Bihar and Assam Tuesday with the death toll in the region mounting to 55, even as a red alert was sounded in Kerala after the weather office predicted extremely heavy rains in the state. Heavy rains continued to lash Punjab and Haryana in the north, while the national capital received light showers for the second consecutive day. An India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin said extremely heavy rains– over 204 mm rains in 24 hours– are likely in six districts of Kerala. In flood-hit Bihar, 33 people have so far been killed in flash floods and 25.71 lakh people affected in 16 districts. According to officials, unusual torrential rainfall in catchment areas in Nepal and subsequent massive discharge of water in rivers led to flash floods in Bihar where more than one lakh people have been moved to safer areas. [caption id=“attachment_7006681” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  People cross a flooded street following incessant monsoon rainfall at Madhubani district. PTI[/caption] The deluge has affected 33 districts of Assam and claimed 17 lives. More than 45 lakh people have been hit by the nature’s fury, they said. Ninety per cent of the famed Kaziranga National Park in Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state is still submerged, a statement from the Assam Ministry of Forest and Environment said. The Kaziranga National Park is home to the world’s largest population of Indian one-horned rhinoceroses. With over 150 anti-poaching camps in the Kaziranga National Park affected by the Assam floods, the authorities are working round-the-clock to check poaching at the UNESCO World Heritage site. According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) report, Brahmaputra river and its tributaries are flowing above the danger level in most of the affected districts, including in Guwahati. In Guwahati, the flood waters of the Brahmaputra have submerged Uzanbazar, Kharguli and Bharalamukh areas. The flood situation in Manas National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is also critical as vast stretches in them have been inundated and animals are moving towards the neighbouring highlands. Five persons had died earlier in rain-related incidents in Mizoram. Light rains and a cloud cover kept the mercury in check in the national capital. The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides official figures for the city, reported 29.2 mm of rains till 8.30 am, the maximum in the monsoon season this year. The city recorded a high of 33.4 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal, and a low of 24 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, heavy rains continued to lash many parts of Punjab and Haryana. The water level of Ghaggar river in Patiala district was flowing close to the danger mark in the morning, but by the evening, the level reduced, officials said. “There was localised flooding in some parts, but there is no need to panic,” Patiala Deputy Commissioner Kumar Amit said. There were also reports of heavy rains in Bathinda in Punjab and Ambala in Haryana, leading to water-logging in many low-lying areas. Chandigarh recorded a high of 28.3 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal limits, a Meteorological Department report said here. The MeT has forecast more rains in the two states until Thursday. Rains in several parts of Himachal Pradesh brought down the day temperatures in the state, with Karsog being the wettest with 70 mm of rainfall.