868 Dead Due to Rains, Flood Strikes 7 States of the Country During Monsoon

The incessant rains and floods due to the monsoon blow in several parts of the country have taken at least 868 lives. The harshly affected states mainly are seven which include 26 districts of Maharashtra, 23 of Assam, 23 of West Bengal, 14 of Kerala, 13 of Uttar Pradesh, 11 of Nagaland and 10 of Gujarat.

Of the lives lost due to the rains and floods, 247 are in Kerala where incessant rains, landslides have made life unbearable for the common people.

National Emergency Response Centre (NERC) of Home Ministry has stated that 2.11 lakh people in 14 districts have been badly hit by the rains and floods leading to the damage of over 32,500 hectares of crops and the death of at least 247 people.

As of Uttar Pradesh, the death toll has reached 191 people, 183 people in West Bengal, 139 in Maharashtra, 52 in Gujarat, 45 in Assam and 11 in Nagaland. Other than the number of people dying due to the natural calamities, 33 people are missing of whom 28 in Kerala and 5 in West Bengal. Injured people in these seven states are a total of 274.

The government and other social help groups have come forward with flood reliefs in all these seven states. The government established relief camps are providing shelter to nearly two lakh people in Kerala. Some 43 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) too are providing consistent relief and rescue to the flood affected people through a total of 2,000 rescuers and 163 boats.

The Indian Air Force too is cooperating through 23 helicopters and 11 transport aircraft. Similarly, the Indian Navy has deployed 51 boats accompanied by diving teams, 1,000 life jackets and 1,300 gumboots. Immediate emergency reliefs and rescue teams too have been deployed to Kerala lately as the state is still under the danger level and heavy showers have started taking the state under grip.

Other forces to deliver assistance to the flood stricken areas are the Coast Guard, the Indian Army and the Territorial Army.

Assam too is one of the sufferers of the floods as 11.45 lakh people are affected and 27,600 hectares of crop land are under water.