The Hindu : Front Page : Rain havoc continues, 130 dead

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Monday, Jun 25, 2007
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Rain havoc continues, 130 dead

Special Correspondent

Southern and central parts of the country bear the brunt of monsoon fury

MONSOON WOES: A sick person being taken to hospital in flood waters in Mumbai on Sunday. —

NEW DELHI: Heavy rain lashed most parts of the country on Sunday with the southern and central parts bearing the brunt of monsoon fury. The death toll in flash floods and house collapses was over 130.

Torrential rain hit Maharashtra, particularly Mumbai and its neighbouring areas, and Karnataka. There was little respite in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, where monsoon has been active over the past week.

Thundershowers are expected to hit Delhi and adjoining areas in the next two days. With the temperature and humidity levels rising considerably, the southwest monsoon is expected to arrive in the Capital between June 29 and July 2, according to the Meteorological Department.

Life was thrown out of gear in Mumbai and neighbouring areas owing to heavy downpour in the past 24 hours. More rain is forecast for the metropolis. Five persons were reported killed in a building collapse in the city and 16 deaths reported from the State till now. Several flights were delayed and rail traffic was disrupted.

(A PTI report from Mumbai said 12 crew members of a barge, which went missing near the Raigad coast on Sunday morning, were rescued in the evening in a joint operation by the Navy and Coast Guard. Two members are still missing.)

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea along the Maharashtra and Goa coasts and ports put on alert.

In Andhra Pradesh, several coastal and low-lying areas remained cut off. The Army joined the civil authorities in rescuing people from Kurnool district, where nearly a lakh people were evacuated and lodged in relief camps. So far, 37 people have been killed in the State.

The worst affected areas are Mahboobnagar, Prakasam, Krishna, Guntur, East Godavari and Srikakulum.

Toll up in Karnataka

In Karnataka, the death toll went up to 39, as heavy downpour continued in Belgaum, Bijapur, Raichur, Gulbarga, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.

In Kerala, 43 people had died and thousands displaced because of heavy rain. Hundreds of families are taking shelter in relief camps. Besides large-scale devastation, power supply has been hit badly. Road traffic is yet to be restored in many places.

Mumbai Special Correspondent reports:

Torrential rain lashed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and several other regions of Maharashtra in the past 24 hours.

Sources in the Weather Bureau said a low pressure belt had advanced northwest from Telangana to Maharashtra. It was moving towards the Arabian Sea, causing heavy rainfall. The monsoon fury is expected to continue for another 24 hours.

There was waterlogging in Lower Parel, Lal Baug and Sion in Central Mumbai and Juhu and Andheri in north and the city’s eastern suburbs, affecting road and suburban rail traffic.

Municipal Commissioner Jayraj Phatak told reporters that the drain and stormwater system in the city had the capacity to take in 40 mm rainfall per hour. Heavier rain could cause waterlogging and flooding.

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