Steady showers hit normal life in many parts of country

New Delhi: Heavy showers lashed several parts of the country on Friday with three people getting killed in a rain-related incidents in Rajasthan while the flood in Assam claimed two more lives even as 13 NDRF teams were deployed across Gujarat due to widespread downpour inundating many parts of the state.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Gujarat Chief Minister and took stock of the situation arising due to the heavy rains and waterlogging and said that if necessary, more NDRF teams will be sent to the state.

The flood situation an Assam remained grim as flood water entered fresh areas raising the number of affected people to over 29,000 in four districts while two more people died in Naoboicha in Lakhimpur district taking the toll in this year's flood and landslide to 138 across the state.

Heavy rains in Rajasthan's state capital Jaipur claimed the lives of three people in Kanota area. Three hours of incessant rain resulted in waterlogging in several parts and scores of vehicles being stranded on roads. As the city's low-lying areas were inundated, 50 families were moved to safer places.

At least 225 roads, including 12 state highways, were closed following a heavy spell of rains in many parts of Gujarat following which the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were deployed across the state.

On Thursday night, the NDRF and Morbi district administration rescued six villagers, who were stuck in a causeway on a seasonal river near Amran village in the district, additional chief secretary (revenue) Pankaj Kumar said.

"Gujarat has already received 70 per cent of its total rainfall as on today (Friday). Widespread rains are expected to continue in the next five days, with heavy showers in several parts of the state on Friday and Saturday," said Jayanta Sarkar, director of state meteorological centre.

Several parts of Odisha too witnessed heavy showers due to formation of a low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal while the IMD said that the downpour will continue for next three days.

In Uttar Pradesh, more than 650 villages in 15 districts are affected by floods and 384 of them have been cut off from other parts of the state even as light to moderate rain and thundershowers occurred at most places in western part of the state and at many places over the eastern part on Friday.