6 dead, 22 lakh hit in Assam floods; man electrocuted in Kol

NEW DELHI: Six people died in rain-related incidents in Assam as the flood situation in the state worsened dramatically on Monday, affecting nearly 22 lakh people. A person was electrocuted on a water-logged street in Kolkata.

Weather forecasting agencies said the monsoon trough has shifted southward and could lead to decrease in rainfall intensity in the subHimalayan region.

In the east, the trough has moved closer to Jamui in Bihar, Dumka in Jharkhand and towards the Bay of Bengal. This is likely to provide some relief to people in north Bengal, where intense rainfall over the past few days has led to flooding in several areas.

In Kolkata, a 43-year-old man came in contact with a wheelbarrow that was kept close to a street light post on Canal East Road on Sunday night, police said. He died of electrocution. Some low-lying areas of the city saw waterlogging owing to heavy rains on Sunday night with the Met department recording 65 mm rainfall in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Monday.

The India Meteorological Department said in a forecast that Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar will still likely receive heavy rainfall till the morning of July 15.

Teesta, Sankosh, Kaljani and Mansai rivers are in spate owing to heavy downpour in catchment areas and several hamlets in north Bengal have been inundated, officials said.

According to Assam's disaster management authority, with the latest six deaths, the total number of people dead in the state in this year's flood and landslide has gone up to 76. Barpeta is the worsthit of the Assam districts with over 5.44 lakh people affected by the flood, followed by South Salmara with 1.92 lakh people and Dhemaji with more than 1.30 lakh people. A total of 22 lakh people have been hit in the state. Heavy rains likely in Goa

In the western part, Goa is likely to receive heavy rainfall on July 14 and 15, alerted the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday.

"Very heavy rainfall (rainfall exceeding 11.5 cm rainfall in 24 hours) is very likely over the North Goa and South Goa districts," said the weather bureau. The other possible impacts of the rainfall could be increased travel times, mudslides and rock falls, damage to crops, and uprooting of weak trees, said IMD's Goa division.