Major rivers in Maharashtra, including the Krishna and Panchganga, are in full spate.
Dozens have been killed and lakhs have been forced out of their homes as monsoon rains continue to batter several parts in the country. Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka are among the worst-hit states. Over two lakh people have been evacuated from five districts of Maharashtra, including Kolhapur, Satara and Sangli. Other states that have reported flooding are Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat and Odisha. The Home Ministry on Friday said more than 250 rescue teams of National Disaster Response Force, Army, Navy and Air Force have been deployed in Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and Gujarat for relief operations. In Karnataka, lakhs of hectares of crops have been destroyed amid unprecedented rainfall. The Kerala government said a red alert - likelihood of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall - has been issued for seven districts today.
Here's your 10-point cheatsheet for developments reported from different parts of country:
In Maharashtra, several districts have been isolated due to heavy rainfall, which has killed more than 28 people in the last few days. Visuals showed homes, buildings and flyovers submerged under water in Kolhapur and Sangli.
Thousands of locals, surrounded by 30 to 50 feet of water, are still waiting to be rescued in Kolhapur. The district is also facing shortage of essential supplies. "Water is receding in the district as rains have stopped for now. Currently, the water level in Kolhapur is at 52 feet although the danger level is 47 feet. The highest water level during the current spell of rain was 57 feet," Abhinav Deshmukh, Kolhapur Superintendent of Police, told news agency PTI
National Highway-4, which connects Mumbai to Bengaluru, has been submerged in water for four days now. Major rivers in Maharashtra, including the Krishna and Panchganga, are in full spate.
Three people died today in Gujarat in building collapse in Pragati Nagar in Kheda's Nadiad area. The building collapsed late on Friday night due to heavy rain in the area, said officials.
Coastal areas in neighboring states Karnataka and Kerala have been flooded, just one year after Kerala suffered its worst deluge in nearly a century. In Kerala, 48 deaths have been reported in the last three days and more than one lakh people have taken shelter in relief camps. Flight operations at Cochin International Airport in Kerala will resume at 12 pm on Sunday.
Heavy rainfall and two major incidents of landslides have been reported from Wayanad and Malapurram in Kerala. Due to continuous rainfall, rescue operations have been hit in Malappuram where around 40 feared trapped in the landslide debris.
Several people are also feared trapped in Wayanad after a major landslide buried an entire cluster of homes of plantation workers at a tea estate on Thursday evening. Rescue operations resumed this morning. A second spell of heavy rainfall has been predicted in parts of the state from August 15.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who represents Wayanad, called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and urged him to ensure aid for the flood-hit. He will visit Wayanad tomorrow.
Two lakh people have been displaced and 24 have been killed in north Karnataka and where Belagavi, Chikkmanglur, Shivamogga are among the worst-hit districts. Chief Minister BS Yeddiyurrapa has said relief operations are his "government's top priority". The state government has pegged the losses at Rs 6,000 crore. JDS patriarch and ex-Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the floods a "national disaster of severe nature".
Heavy rainfall in south and west Odisha earlier this week claimed at least three lives, left two missing and hit over 1.3 lakh people in nine districts, a government official said. A fresh bout of rain is expected to hit the state after three days.
