New Delhi: The flood situation in many parts of Karnataka remained grim on Friday due to torrential rains and release of water from major dams, while 47 people have lost their lives in neighbouring Maharashtra in the last three days due to heavy showers and deluge which have extensively damaged crops on lakhs of hectares.
Of the 47 people who have lost their lives in the last three days, 28 have died in Pune division, 16 in Aurangabad division and three in coastal Konkan, officials said on Friday.
In neighbouring Karnataka, the northern region of the state was the worst affected area which faced floods thrice in as many months. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and assured him of all possible support from the Centre in rescue and relief works that are underway.
The prime minister also spoke to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and assured him of all possible help from the Centre.
The national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius even as pollution levels dipped slightly with favourable wind speed helping in the dispersion of pollutants.
With Delhi-NCR bracing for months of poor air quality, experts have warned that high levels of air pollution can aggravate the COVID-19 situation. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also said the meteorological conditions in Delhi have been "extremely unfavourable" for dispersion of pollutants since this September as compared to last year.
CPCB Member Secretary Prashant Gargava said PM10 concentration between September 1 and October 14 this year has been more as compared to the corresponding period last year.
The India Meteorological Department said heavy to very heavy rainfall was also observed at isolated places over Konkan and Goa, Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh.
In the eastern part of the country, weather officials said on Friday that a low-pressure area brewing over the Bay of Bengal is likely to cause rains in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal during the Durga Puja.
The low-pressure area is likely to form around October 19 and be more marked thereafter, they said, adding that though the system is likely to move towards the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast, south-westerly wind flow will enhance in West Bengal, resulting in the probability of rain.
In south Bengal, including Kolkata, light to moderate rain is likely to occur till October 20, they said.
In Maharashtra, officials said over 2,300 houses were damaged in heavy rains and floods in western part of the state where more than 21,000 people were moved to safer places, they said. Crops such as sugarcane, soybean, vegetables, rice, pomegranate and cotton, spread over 57,000 hectares in Pune, Solapur, Satara and Sangli districts, have also suffered damage.