Indian flood toll jumps to 147 as hundreds of thousands evacuated
NEW DELHI — The death toll from floods in the Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra rose to 147, state authorities said on Sunday, as rescue teams raced to evacuate people and waters submerged parts of a world heritage site, Reuters reported.
Heavy rain and landslides forced hundreds of thousands of people to take shelter in relief camps, while train services were canceled in several flood-hit areas.
Worst affected is the southern state of Kerala, where 57 deaths have been reported over the past three days. In Karnataka, So far 60 people have died in rain-related incidents, official said. The southwestern state of Maharashtra has reported 30 deaths.
Over half-a-million people have been evacuated from the inundated areas in these states, and settled in relief camps set up by their state governments.
Earlier, more than 200 deaths were reported from the eastern state of Bihar and northeastern state of Assam, which were battered by flash floods for two weeks beginning from July 15.
The country’s Meteorological Department has issued a red alert signaling heavy rains in Kerala’s three districts of Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod on Sunday.
On Saturday, one of the four shutters of the Banasurasagar dam in Wayanad was opened to discharge excess water and people on the banks of the Kabini river have been asked to be cautious. Banasurasagar is one of the largest earth dams in India.
Due to inundation of railway tracks, as many as 23 trains were canceled fully and five partially. The Kochi international airport which was shut down for three days, is expected to become partially operational on Sunday.
According to media reports, around 125,000 people have been shifted to around 1,100 relief camps.
The flood situation is said to have worsened in Karnataka as well. The death toll rose to 60 in rain-related incidents. the state’s Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who has conducted several aerial surveys of the flood-affected areas, has termed the natural calamity the “biggest” in 45 years.
The state government’s estimates put the losses caused by rains and floods at 6,000 crore Indian rupees ($857 million).
In Maharashtra, more than 400,000 people have been moved to safety from the flood-hit areas so far, including 378,000 from the worsthit Kolhapur and Sangli districts. The state’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reviewed the rescue and relief operations in Sangli. He said that this year’s floods were the worst in the past 15 years.
Citing media reports, India’s Congress party said so far this year 446 people have been killed in six floodhit states including Assam, Bihar and Gujarat.
“Despite the mammoth loss of lives and displacement caused due to floods, the government is failing to realize the gravity of the flood fury,” the Congress party said on Sunday.