New Delhi, Sept. 3 -- Heavy rains disrupted normal life across several states on Thursday, claiming five lives in Uttar Pradesh, pushing the Ganga towards its highest flood mark in Bihar, triggering landslides in Himachal Pradesh and affecting road and rail services in West Bengal.
In Uttar Pradesh, five people were killed in separate rain-related incidents in Chitrakoot, Amethi and Barabanki. In Chitrakoot, a mud house collapsed in Barachhi village, killing a 32-year-old man and his two children, aged five and one. His wife and daughter were injured. A 66-year-old man died after a mud wall collapsed in Amethi, while another man was killed and his son-in-law injured in a similar incident in Barabanki. The district is among 23 flood-affected districts.
In Bihar, authorities stepped up vigilance as the Ganga was expected to cross its highest flood mark at Patna's Gandhi Ghat on Thursday night. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary inspected the rising water level and directed officials to ensure public safety. The river is also likely to cross the mark at Hathidah in Mokama around noon on September 4.
In Himachal Pradesh, debris disrupted traffic on the Chandigarh-Shimla highway in Solan, while landslides damaged drinking-water pipelines in Kangra's Naddi area. As many as 95 roads remained closed. Bilaspur's Naina Devi recorded the highest rainfall at 130.6 mm.
In West Bengal, the Damodar Valley Corporation issued flood alerts after releasing water from Maithon and Panchet reservoirs. Five districts, including Purba Bardhaman and Howrah, were put on alert.
Rail services on the Eastern Railway's Howrah-Malda division were also affected after heavy rain eroded soil beneath tracks between Tilpara and New Farakka.
Several long-distance trains were delayed, while north Bengal-bound services were diverted through a bypass route.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.