Rains and floods have damaged 60 lakh hectares of land in Maharashtra, as per the initial estimate, and the government has decided to extend all benefits and measures usually provided during drought to the affected people, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday. He, however, didn't declare a "wet drought" as demanded by the Opposition, saying no such provision exists in the official manual. The CM informed the damage assessment will be completed in the next two to three days, and a comprehensive policy will be announced in the next week. "After all assessment is completed, a memorandum will be sent to the Centre for a relief package. In the meantime, the state will provide all necessary assistance. The Central fund will be like reimbursement. The government would declare a relief package for losses (caused by heavy rains and floods) next week," Fadnavis told reporters after chairing a weekly cabinet meeting. He noted the disbursal of Rs 2,215 crore aid covering crop loss
The four-month monsoon season came to an end on Tuesday with the country recording eight per cent more than normal rainfall, the India Meteorological Department said. IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that the country saw a "very successful" monsoon season though it was marked by many disasters, including cloudburst, landslides and mudslides. India recorded 937.2 mm of rainfall against the normal of 868.6 mm in the entire four-month monsoon season, a surplus of 8 per cent. East and northeast India recorded 1089.9 mm of rainfall, 20 per cent below the normal of 1367.3 mm. Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya saw deficient rainfall in three of the four monsoon months, Mohapatra said. "Rainfall over east and northeast India this monsoon season was the second lowest since 1901. The lowest rainfall (1065.7 mm) in the monsoon season in the region was recorded in 2013," Mohapatra said during an online press conference. "Rainfall over east and northeast India has been deficien
Excess rainfall and floods have damaged nearly 40 per cent of land under cultivation in Maharashtra, and the assessment of damages is still underway, a state minister said on Tuesday. Reports on damage assessment are expected to be completed by October 5, the minister said on condition of anonymity. Torrential rains and floods last week have damaged crops on lakhs of acres of land in several parts of Maharashtra, including eight districts of Marathwada, and parts of Solapur, Satara and Sangli. "Some areas are still inaccessible. Officials have been asked to visit the affected areas physically so that no farmer is left out. However, primary estimates indicate that nearly 40 per cent of the total area under cultivation is completely damaged," the minister said. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, state Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the government was working to finalise relief measures. "By October 5, the damage assessment reports will be completed. Based on that repor
Several airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet, posted travel advisories and weather updates on their official handles
Mumbai witnessed light to moderate rains on Monday morning, a day after heavy showers lashed the city. Some of the suburbs received nearly 100 mm of rain over the last 24 hours, civic officials said. Local train services of the Central Railway and Western Railway were running normally with some delay, and there was no diversion of bus routes of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, they said. The weather bureau has sounded an 'orange alert' for Mumbai and suburbs, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall on Monday. Most parts of the city witnessed light or moderate showers in the morning. The rain intensity was significantly lower compared to the previous morning, when heavy rains lashed Mumbai, the officials said. In the weather forecast issued at 8 am on Monday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted a "cloudy sky with heavy rainfall" in the city and suburbs. It also forecast the possibility of "very heavy rainfall" at isolated places, t
Heavy rains lashed Nashik in Maharashtra on Sunday, leading to water level in the Godavari river reaching close to the danger mark in the city and inundation of some temples in Ramkund area, officials said. The weather department has sounded a 'red alert', predicting heavy to very heavy rain accompanied by stormy winds in the district on Sunday and Monday. Heavy rains have also been forecast on Tuesday. Small temples in Ramkund area, including the famous Dutondya Maruti idol, and the Goda Ghat region alongside the Godavari river were submerged. Due to the flood in the Punad river in Kalwan taluka, contact with Kakane-Khedgaon village has been disrupted, as per officials. The heavy downpour in the catchment areas of Gangapur, Kashyapi and Gautami-Godavari dams prompted the discharge of water from these dams. Water reservoirs in the district were filled up to 98.11 per cent of their capacity. Currently, 8,684 cusec (cubic foot per second) of water is being discharged from the Gangap
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert', warning of extremely heavy rainfall in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts on Sunday, extending the wet patch in the region. Extremely heavy rainfall is likely over Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts with very intense spells in some areas. Coastal districts such as Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, along with the ghat regions of Nashik, are also expected to witness heavy showers, an IMD official said. The department updated its forecast on Saturday afternoon, stating that compared to the coastal belt and parts of north Konkan, the rest of the state, including north Maharashtra, central Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha, is likely to receive only low-intensity rainfall on Sunday. The weather bureau on Saturday morning had issued an orange alert', forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in Mumbai during the day. The city skies remained overcast through the day, with some areas receiving light to moderate .
About 1,000 people living in low-lying areas here were shifted to relief camps as the Musi river was in spate following heavy rains in the city and other parts of Telangana, officials said on Saturday. The residents of low-lying areas, who were evacuated to relief camps late on Friday, were being provided food and other essential items, they said. The flood water entered the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS), a major bus complex in Telangana, prompting authorities to halt the bus services. Passengers waiting for buses in the complex were shifted out safely. The state-run Telangana Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) MD V C Sajjanar said in a post on 'X' that buses originating at the bus station are being operated from different areas in the city. The TGSRTC appealed to the bus passengers to not come to the MGBS in view of flood water entering inside the complex. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who enquired about the situation following the heavy inflows in the Musi river, directed
The Odisha government on Friday took necessary steps to tackle the impact of a depression over the Bay of Bengal that is likely to cross the south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coast around Saturday morning, officials said. In its 8.13pm bulletin, the IMD said, "The well marked low pressure area over northwest and adjoining central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards, concentrated into a depression. At 5.30 pm, the system lay centered 60 km south-southeast of Puri, 130 km east of Gopalpur and 230 km east-northeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)". "The system is very likely to cross south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts between Puri and Kalingapatnam close to Gopalpur on September 27 morning," a senior scientist at the meteorological centre, Bhubaneswar, said. Keeping in view the IMD warnings, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is on a tour to Jharsuguda to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme at the western Odisha district on Saturday, held a review meeting and
A low-pressure system has developed over the Bay of Bengal due to which several parts of Maharashtra are likely to experience cloudy weather and increased rainfall between September 26 and 28, a government statement said on Thursday. The southwest monsoon is not expected to withdraw from the state before October 5, said the statement posted on X. "South Vidarbha and adjoining areas of Marathwada are likely to receive moderate rainfall from the afternoon of September 26. Districts including Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Yavatmal and Nanded are expected to witness showers, while light rain and overcast conditions may prevail in remaining parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada," it said. The state agriculture department has advised farmers to plan their agricultural operations in accordance with the weather forecast and to safeguard harvested crops from rain and gusty winds, it said. Authorities have also warned of a possible rise in water levels in dams across South Marathwada, Konkan and the ..
At least 11 people have died in heavy downpour which lashed the city and nearby areas on September 23 morning, even as life limped back to normal in city on Wednesday with improvement in weather, a senior official said on Wednesday. Till filing of this report, several areas, particularly Patuli, Santoshpur, Ballygunje, Salt Lake and pockets of north and central parts of the city, remained waterlogged. The official said while nine people died of electrocution in the city since Tuesday, two deaths were reported in neighbouring districts. As on Tuesday, there were reports of 10 deaths by electrocution, including one from an adjoining district. On Wednesday, news of another casualty came in from South 24 Parganas district's Rajpur-Sonarpur, the official added. While water was pumped out of low-lying areas of Kolkata and adjoining areas through the night, life limped back to normal in majority of the areas barring Patuli, Santoshpur, Ballygunje and Bidhannagar, where waterlogging ...
Normal life came to a grinding halt in Odisha on Wednesday as all the 30 districts received around 60 per cent more rainfall than normal, even as the IMD forecast more downpour till September 27, prompting the state government to put all districts on alert, officials said. While the ongoing low-pressure area has already triggered heavy rainfall across the state, the weather office has forecast the formation of another low-pressure system on Thursday, leading the authorities to take precautionary measures, they said. "Districts under Orange and Yellow warnings should keep the administrative machinery ready to face any eventuality," Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) office said in a letter to all the district collectors. The IMD has issued an orange warning (be prepared to take action) of heavy to very heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning with wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph at one or two places over the districts of Koraput, Nawarangpur and Nuapada. Similarly, the ..
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Delhi sees moderate temperatures with clear skies; Kolkata, Jharkhand, and Hyderabad face heavy rainfall, waterlogging, and flood alerts due to low pressure system in Bay of Bengal
The monsoon is expected to withdraw from Delhi within the next two days, marking the end of a season in which the capital logged above-normal rainfall since May. The IMD said dry northwesterly winds are prevailing and no rain has been recorded in the past several days, conditions that favour the withdrawal of the seasonal rains. With no moisture and no forecast of rainfall, the withdrawal criteria are likely to be met by Thursday, said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at private forecaster Skymet. Although the city received rain on only eight days this month, September's total has already touched 136.1 mm, higher than the monthly normal of 123.5 mm. This continues a trend of surplus rainfall since May. The capital saw its wettest May on record with 186.4 mm, followed by an excess of 45 per cent in June, 24 per cent in July and a 72 per cent surplus in August, the wettest in 15 years. Overall, Delhi has received 902.6 mm of rainfall this monsoon about 35 per cent above the long-per
A fresh spate of rain-related incidents has hit Himachal Pradesh after multiple landslides were reported on Friday, further disrupting life in the state, which has been hit hard by torrential rains during the past few months. After a landslide struck near a prominent school in Shimla on Friday, which forced the administration to order the closure of the institution for two days, another such disaster struck Kangra district. Tourist destination McLeodganj in the district was cut off following a massive landslide near a church. The landslide in the hill station blocked vehicular traffic, causing difficulty for the commuters. In Shimla, the landslide occurred in the Himland area near the St. Edwards School, one of the oldest schools here, prompting the administration to order the closure of the institution for two days Friday and Saturday. Circular road, the lifeline of Shimla, was closed at Himland throughout the day following the landslide. The traffic was diverted via Sanjauli Roa
The IMD on Thursday forecast heavy rain in the northern part of West Bengal till September 20 owing to an upper air circulation over east Bihar and strong moisture incursion. In south Bengal, light to moderate rainfall is likely at many places with thunderstorms and lightning and at a few places in some districts till September 22, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Heavy rain is likely in the sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar till September 20, it said. Malda in north Bengal received the highest rainfall in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Thursday at 34 mm, followed by Alipurduar at 31 mm, the Met data said.
Around 2,500 tourists were stranded in Uttarakhand's Mussoorie on Wednesday as the road from Dehradun to the popular hill station remained closed for the second consecutive day following cloudbursts and heavy rain in the capital. Meanwhile, Delhi witnessed a cloudy sky on Wednesday, with parts of the city receiving showers. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert, advising that the situation be monitored and updated in line with its colour-coded guidelines. Heavy showers ravaged the Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, already bruised by a string of deadly natural calamities over the past couple of months, on Tuesday. The cloudbursts and heavy rains left 15 people dead, 16 missing, and more than 900 stranded in Uttarakhand, while in Himachal Pradesh, three members of a family were killed as rains triggered massive landslides and flash floods. As rehabilitation work picked up pace on Wednesday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dha
Cloudbursts and heavy rains overnight left a trail of destruction in Uttarakhand's capital Dehradun and several other parts of the state on Tuesday as swollen rivers washed away buildings, roads and bridges, leaving 15 people dead, 16 missing, and 900 stranded in different locations in the hill state. Of the total fatalities, Dehradun district alone reported 13 and Nainital and Pithoragarh districts one each. Sixteen people are reported missing in different parts of the state capital, the Uttarakhand Disaster Management Authority said. Three people were also injured in the incidents, it said, adding that they are under treatment. Search for the missing continued amid inclement weather while NDRF, SDRF and fire brigade personnel brought most of the stranded people to safety, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) here said. It said that 900 people stranded in different locations were rescued by the SDRF, NDRF and Fire Brigade personnel. Most rivers were in spate following the
A six-month NSU-NIT programme will examine Sanskrit texts where frog behaviour, ant movements, and cloud patterns were linked to rainfall, drawing both interest and criticism