Floods continue to wreak havoc in UP, Bihar

Floods continued to spread havoc in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on Monday, as several districts remained inundated and water levels of rivers continued to rise at an alarming rate.

Darbhanga, (Bihar)/Varanasi, Aug 6 : Floods continued to spread havoc in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on Monday, as several districts remained inundated and water levels of rivers continued to rise at an alarming rate.

Incessant monsoon rains over the past weeks have displaced millions of people, destroying crops and homes in parts of UP and Bihar.

Hundreds have died over the past 12 days after torrential monsoon rains lashed the region, causing rivers to burst their banks.

In Darbhanga district, one of the worst affected, large swathes of land remained inundated in floodwater, forcing people to take shelter on small strips of raised land.

Even roads have been washed away in the deluge and railways tracks submerged in water, cutting several areas off from the rest of the state.

Meanwhile, the eastern part of UP too continued to remain inundated.

In Varanasi, a swollen River Ganges made it difficult for people to get to the riverbanks.

"People can't come from the (river) banks. Similarly from Rajghat they have to either come by boat or take routes on higher grounds," said Mukesh Kumar Dubey, a local.

Thousands have been marooned in floodwaters in UP. At least 105 people have died in house collapses, lightning and boat tragedies as heavy rains lashed across the state. Several thousands have been affected as 1,100 villages were marooned of the over 2,000 affected by floods in 20 districts.

Over 250 people have died and over 60 lakh people have been marooned in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Assam over the past 11 days after torrential monsoon rains, which also destroyed crops and homes.

Indian Air Force helicopters were pressed into service in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, which is said to be the worst affected in the state.

Bihar receives an average of 1,200 millimeters rainfall annually, but in most places, it has already received 500-700 mm of rainfall in July.

According to the UNICEF, over 1,100 people have died so far during this year's monsoon.

UNICEF said the scale of disaster has posed an "unprecedented challenge" for aid workers.

ANI