India floods: Death toll rises in Assam; Kerala, Gujarat and Odisha battle heavy rain
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "India floods: Death toll rises in Assam; Kerala, Gujarat and Odisha battle heavy rain")
From Assam to Kerala: Floods, cloudbursts and flash floods batter multiple states Photograph: (ANI)
Heavy rain continued to batter India as Assam's flood death toll rose to 80, Kerala witnessed flash floods after a 300 mm cloudburst-like downpour, and Gujarat, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh grappled with flooding, rescue operations and weather alerts.
Heavy rain continued to batter several parts of India on Friday (Jul 31), triggering floods, flash floods and waterlogging across multiple states. While Assam's flood toll climbed further, Kerala witnessed sudden flooding after an intense spell of rainfall, Gujarat continued restoration work after days of torrential rain, and fresh flooding was reported in Odisha. A cloudburst also struck Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, while Himachal Pradesh remained under the grip of an active monsoon.
Assam: Death toll reaches 80, over 1.92 lakh affected
The flood situation in Assam remained serious, with the death toll rising to 80 after two more fatalities were reported, one each in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts.
According to the Disaster Reporting and Information Management System (DRIMS), more than 1.92 lakh people have been affected across five districts, namely Sivasagar, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon and Charaideo. Floodwaters have inundated 379 villages and damaged over 15,430 hectares of crop area. Officials said there were no reports of urban flooding in the state.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma thanked industrialist Gautam Adani for contributing Rs 11 crore to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, saying the amount would strengthen relief and rehabilitation efforts. Actor Kartik Aaryan has also contributed Rs 1 crore, while the Muslim Rashtriya Manch announced financial assistance for flood-hit communities.
Trending Stories
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Kerala: Flash floods after 300 mm rain in just two hours
Kerala witnessed one of its most intense spells of rainfall, with Pathanamthitta district receiving more than 300 mm of rain within two hours, triggering flash floods and causing the Pamba River to overflow.
District Collector Nizamudeen A said rescue teams, including the police, fire force, revenue officials and panchayat authorities, were carrying out evacuation operations as a Red Alert remained in force.
Several parts of Ranni town were submerged under waist-deep water. Local residents said people had been evacuated from their homes, but many could not remove their belongings before the floodwaters entered.
The heavy rainfall also forced organisers of the Malabar River Festival in Kozhikode to suspend its white-water kayaking competitions after water levels in the Chalipuzha River rose sharply. Authorities relocated participants and equipment to safer locations following recommendations from Fire and Rescue Services.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red Alert for Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta, while several other districts remain under an Orange Alert.
Gujarat: Rescue operations continue as roads reopen
In Gujarat's Valsad district, firefighters rescued three people stranded near the Auranga River after floodwaters surrounded the area around a bridge connecting the city with a nearby village. Officials said the rescue was launched immediately after a distress call and all three people were brought to safety.
The state government said restoration work has progressed rapidly following the exceptionally heavy rainfall recorded between July 23 and 27. Of the 1,540 roads that were closed due to flooding and damage, 1,451 have already been reopened.
South Gujarat bore the brunt of the rainfall, with 1,251 roads shut during the peak of the flooding. Officials said more than 98 per cent of those roads have since been restored after round-the-clock repair work involving over 1,400 personnel and hundreds of heavy machines.
Odisha: Villages inundated, opposition questions government's response
Floodwaters entered Dokandar village under Kanas block in Odisha's Puri district, inundating homes and disrupting normal life.
Residents said they were facing shortages of drinking water, food, electricity and other essential supplies as water entered residential areas. Villagers appealed for immediate relief while authorities said they were monitoring the situation and carrying out relief measures.
The flood situation also triggered a political confrontation, with both the Biju Janata Dal and the Congress accusing the state government of inadequate preparedness and questioning Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's visit to Delhi while several districts remained affected.
Jammu and Kashmir: Cloudburst damages shops in Kishtwar
A cloudburst struck the Chatroo area of Kishtwar district early on Saturday, damaging several commercial establishments.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh said there had been no loss of life and that compensation would be provided for damaged shops. He also said early warning systems had been installed in Kishtwar and Machhail following last year's Chasoti cloudburst, with an automatic weather station also being set up in the Padder area.
Himachal Pradesh: Monsoon continues to disrupt normal life
Intermittent rainfall continued across Himachal Pradesh, with Shimla witnessing persistent showers that attracted tourists but disrupted everyday life for residents.
The IMD has forecast light to moderate rain across the state, with heavy rainfall likely at isolated places until August 4. It has warned of possible landslides, flash floods, waterlogging and slippery roads.
Meanwhile, the Bhakra Beas Management Board released an additional 12,000 cusecs of water from the Pandoh Dam after increased inflows, taking total discharge into the Beas River to around 36,000 cusecs. Authorities have advised people to stay away from riverbanks as water levels could rise further.
