Over 300 dead, lakhs displaced across country in floods

NEW DELHI: The death toll from floods sweeping parts of the country following heavy showers has crossed 300, with Bihar accounting for 89 deaths followed by Uttarakhand

NEW DELHI: The death toll from floods sweeping parts of the country following heavy showers has crossed 300, with Bihar accounting for 89 deaths followed by Uttarakhand where at least 73 people are known to have perished.

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Among the other states battered by floods are Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

This year’s rains after two consecutive droughts have wrecked havoc in many states, claiming lives and destroying property and standing crops. Lakhs of people have been displaced with thousands of houses washed away. Some 3.4 lakh people have been affected by the flood waters in Madhya Pradesh alone.

Among the dead are two girls in Punjab who were swept away by flash floods in Udhampur of Punjab. Landslides triggered by rains have also killed several people, including three pilgrims who died on Friday near the Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu.

According to Indian Meteorological Department, the rainfall in the country till August 6 was 6% more than normal and was in excess in flood-hit Assam, Bihar and parts of Uttarakhand. Rainfall is considered to be in excess if the region has received more than 20% of what it normally received in the last 10 years.

Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha and Telengana are among the state that have received normal rains this year. Rainfall received in parts of eastern Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Sikkim was less than normal, the weather department said.