Heavy rain wreaks havoc across states; 5 dead in UP, flood threat rises in Bihar, Bengal

New Delhi: Heavy rain disrupted normal life across several states on Thursday, leaving five people dead in Uttar Pradesh, pushing the Ganga towards its “highest flood mark” in Bihar and triggering landslides, road blockages and train disruptions in other parts of the country.

Five killed in Uttar Pradesh

Five people, including three members of a family, died in separate rain-related incidents in Chitrakoot, Amethi and Barabanki districts, officials said.

In Chitrakoot, a mud house collapsed in Barachhi village, killing a 32-year-old man and his two children, aged five and one. His wife and daughter were injured in the incident.

A 66-year-old man died after a mud wall collapsed in Naya Purwa village in Amethi on Wednesday evening. In Barabanki, a 62-year-old man was killed and his son-in-law injured when a mud wall collapsed on them in Dhanouli village late Wednesday night.

Barabanki is among 23 districts in Uttar Pradesh currently affected by floods.

Ganga rises in Bihar

In Bihar, authorities stepped up vigilance as the Ganga continued to rise. The river is expected to cross its “highest flood mark” at Patna's Gandhi Ghat on Thursday night, according to the Disaster Management Department.

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary inspected the rising water level along JP Ganga Path and directed officials to take steps to ensure public safety.

Residents in riverbank and low-lying areas of Bhojpur, Patna, Saran, Vaishali, Nalanda, Begusarai, Lakhisarai and Jehanabad were advised to remain alert and avoid unnecessary movement near ghats and embankments.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, reviewed the flood situation through a video conference.

Officials said the rise in the Ganga was linked to heavy rain in parts of Bihar and continuous rainfall in Jharkhand. The river is also expected to cross its highest flood mark at Hathidah in Mokama around noon on September 4.

Landslides, road closures in Himachal Pradesh

Heavy rain also disrupted transport and water supply in Himachal Pradesh.

Debris fell onto the Chandigarh-Shimla highway in Solan district, affecting traffic. Run-off water also inundated shops in the Jabli area near Dharampur.

Debris near Chakki Mod, about 10 km from Parwanoo, forced vehicles to use a single lane, causing congestion. Several parts of Parwanoo also experienced waterlogging.

Landslides in the Naddi area of Kangra damaged key gravity pipelines supplying drinking water to Dharamshala, disrupting water supply to several parts of the town.

As many as 95 roads remained closed across the state. Bilaspur's Naina Devi recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 130.6 mm on Thursday, followed by 85.8 mm at Murari Devi in Mandi.

The Shimla Meteorological Centre has forecast heavy rain at isolated places in Bilaspur, Kangra and Sirmaur on Friday, and in Bilaspur, Kangra and Solan on Saturday. The wet spell is likely to continue until September 9.

Also read | Rivers rise, roads disappear, boulders crash; 5 dead as Uttarakhand reels under rain 

Flood alerts issued in West Bengal

In West Bengal, the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) issued flood alerts for downstream areas after releasing water from the Maithon and Panchet reservoirs amid heavy rain and increased inflows.

The discharge from Maithon, which stood at 1.2 lakh cusec on Wednesday evening, was reduced to 98,000 cusec by Thursday afternoon. This lowered the flood risk from orange to yellow, DVC Executive Director (Civil), Maithon, Subir Kumar Saha said.

Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Bankura, Hooghly and Howrah are among the districts likely to be affected. The DVC alerted the state government and district administrations and urged precautionary measures in riverbank areas.
Also read | Will rain wash out Janmashtami plans? IMD forecasts heavy showers across north India

Train services hit

Train services were also affected in West Bengal's Eastern Railway Howrah-Malda division after heavy rain caused erosion beneath railway tracks between Tilpara and New Farakka.

North Bengal-bound trains were diverted through a bypass line, while several long-distance services, including the Jogbani Express, Gour Express and Darjeeling Mail, were delayed.

Railway maintenance teams were working to restore the affected section.

Delhi braces for more rain

In Delhi, the maximum temperature on Thursday was 34.9 degrees Celsius, 0.8 degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature was 27 degrees Celsius.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast a generally cloudy sky with moderate rain in Delhi on Friday and Saturday.

(With PTI inputs)