Heavy rains to lash TN, Odisha; Bihar on alert as Ganga overflows

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Odisha on Tuesday (September 24).

Heavy downpour along with thunderstorm is also likely in Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan, Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.

“Heavy to very heavy rainfall likely at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Marathwada, Konkan, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Telangana and interior Karnataka,” said an updated bulletin of IMD.

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“Gale winds, speed reaching 75-85 kmph gusting to 95 kmph, very likely to prevail over northwest and adjoining west-central Arabian Sea,” the bulletin said.

The department has also issued warning to fishermen not to venture into the sea for the next few days.

Also read: Mumbai put on red alert after heavy rains; local trains cancelled, flights delayed

Ganga water exceeds danger mark, alert issued

After the water of river Ganga crossed the danger mark, the Patna district administration has issued an alert in the low lying areas of the river basin.

Officials said the low lying areas of the river was submerged after its water level rose on Monday (September 23) evening. The administration, however, had issued the alert on September 21, to prompt evacuation of people living in the flood-prone areas.

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“I have been deployed as a guard at Gandhi Ghat here. The river water level is fluctuating for a week and people are not allowed to visit the ghats here, as directed by the district magistrate. Ganga is flowing above danger mark here,” ANI quoted another local as saying.

Civil defence professionals have also been deployed in the area to monitor public movement. “It is an open place and many people visit here. So it is extremely risky for them to come here in such a situation. We have been deployed here to monitor any people movement. Narmada Ghat to Krishna Ghat region has been seized,” a civil defence professional said.

Also read: Ganga, Yamuna, rivers in spate; alert sounded across north India

(With inputs from agencies)