Floods leave more than 225 dead in five states, 91 killed in Kerala

The toll in floods in five states of India crossed 225 on Tuesday, PTI reported. Ninety-one of these deaths were reported in Kerala. The Indian Navy said it had rescued more than 14,000 people from flood-affected areas of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka in the past week.

“In one of the historic operations held in this area in last three decades, our teams rescued 11,124 people from Maharashtra and Goa, and 3,115 from Karnataka’s flood-hit areas,” Rear Admiral Philipose Pynumootil, Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area told the news agency.

According to the government update at 7 pm on Tuesday, 91 people have lost their lives in Kerala – 31 in Malappuram, 17 in Kozhikode and 12 in Wayanad – since August 8. The toll is likely to go up as 59 are still missing.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday visited the districts of Malappuram and Wayanad from where 41 deaths were reported in a series of landslides on August 8. “The government is with you...we need to overcome all difficulties and hardships together,” he was quoted as saying by the news agency. He said the government will first focus on rescue measures and after that it will take up the rehabilitation initiatives.

“There are several people who have completely lost their houses and properties and suffered crop loss,” Vijayan said. “Some more people, who have gone missing, are yet to be traced and efforts are on to find them.”

He was accompanied by Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan and Chief Secretary Tom Jose. They will also visit relief centres in Malappuram and hold discussions with people’s representatives and officials.

Authorities said that educational institutions were closed in five districts on Tuesday – Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Malappuram. Examinations have also been postponed in the districts.

“It is a tragedy not only for Wayanad, but for Kerala and also some southern states,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who represents the constituency in Parliament, told reporters on Monday. “This is not only a Wayanad issue, this is a Kerala issue, this is a Karnataka issue. I think the Central government needs to pay attention and aggressively support the people of these states.”

Karnataka

Rain and floods have wreaked havoc in Karnataka, with 54 people losing their lives, PTI reported on Tuesday. Fifteen people are still missing, and 5.81 lakh people have been displaced since August 1. Nearly four lakh people are lodged in 1,151 relief camps.

Focus has now shifted to relief and rehabilitation work. More than 55,000 houses have been damaged.

The Karnataka government has decided to celebrate Independence Day in a simple way this time. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who visited his home district of Shivamogga on Tuesday, said the situation in the state was very bad. “Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also conducted inspection,” ANI quoted him as saying. “Loss of over 50,000 crores in the state. On August 16, I am going to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding this.” He also requested the Centre to release Rs 10,000 crore immediately.

This came a day after former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda wrote a letter to the Centre, urging them to release Rs 5,000-crore aid immediately, Hindustan Times reported. “For the present, the total damage to both public and private property including damage to infrastructure approximately could be assessed at Rs 10,000 crore,” he said. “I have not seen such unprecedented destruction to both human lives and properties in my six decades political career.”

Maharashtra

Rescue operations in Kolhapur and Sangli districts are over as the flood situation in western Maharashtra improved on Tuesday. Water level of two crucial rivers in Sangli and Kolhapur districts receded, PTI reported.

The toll in Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara, Pune and Solapur districts in the last eight days rose to 49, with 24 of those deaths occurring in Sangli, said Pune Divisional Commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar. Three people are still missing.

Close to 6.45 lakh people had been shifted to safety in Kolhapur and Sangli districts. Pune Divisional Commissioner Mhaisekar told reporters that 1,070 soldiers of various agencies were carrying out rescue and relief operations with and had deployed 164 boats.

The floods, which were triggered by release of water from dams in the region and Almatti, displaced more than four lakh people.

The state government said it will seek assistance of Rs 6,813 crore – Rs 4,708 crore for Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Rs 2,105 crore for Konkan, Nashik and rest of Maharashtra – from the Centre.

“The national highway [Mumbai-Bengaluru] is open...Petrol, diesel and gas supplies have been restored,” said Deputy Collector Sanjay Shinde. “Work is going on a war-footing to restore power and phone connectivity.” Over 100 roads and 46 bridges are still closed in five districts of western Maharashtra.

However, the weather meteorological department has predicted heavy to very heavy showers at isolated places in hilly areas of Pune, Kolhapur and Satara districts on Wednesday.

Gujarat

In the western state, 31 people have died in rain-related incidents in the last four days. Several parts of the state, including Saurashtra and Kutch, are receiving heavy rain.

The Indian Air Force rescued nearly 125 people stranded on a road washed away by floods in Kutch on Monday, unidentified government officials said.

Uttarakhand

At least six people died in Chamoli district on Monday in landslides triggered by heavy rain. The six were buried under the rubble of their damaged houses, according to Hindustan Times reported. Two buildings were also swept away.

In West Bengal, 16 people, including four farmers, have been killed by lightning in five districts since Sunday.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and East Rajasthan. It has also predicted heavy rainfall in Kerala, Karnataka, Konkan region, Odisha, and Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Train services in western Odisha were affected after incessant downpour. More rainfall is likely to occur over the next two days. District administrations have been asked to be prepared to deal with possible flood.