Heavy rains continue to batter several Indian states, with the situation across Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana remaining grim, as several districts have been inundated as river water crossed its embankments.
In Bihar, 16 of the 38 state's districts are flood-hit, affecting about 7.5 million people. So far 25 deaths have been reported due to flood-related incidents. Though the state has been experiencing heavy flooding year after year, there were no effective plans to mitigate the sufferings of the people, according to locals.
In central Chhattisgarh, the tribal areas of Bastar are experiencing heavy rains and flooding. The state government has sought the assistance of the Indian Air Force to rescue a man trapped at the Khutaghat Dam near Bilaspur.
The federal weather forecast agency, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to very heavy rain for the next three to four days in Telangana. Major rivers in the state are in spate, while the state capital has been receiving continuous rain.
“Heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places very likely over parts of northwest India, Odisha, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana during 1st half of the week and decrease thereafter", reads a warning by IMD.
In southern Kerala, the death toll from one of the worst landslides near Munnar on the night of 6 August has increased to 58 with three more bodies extricated from the site of the calamity.