Week of floods in India kills dozens

Torrential rains in northern India's Uttar Pradesh state have flooded wide areas in the region, killing dozens of people this week, officials said on Saturday.   

Densely populated areas on the banks of two main rivers flowing through Uttar Pradesh were among the worst hit, with rivers overflowing because of incessant rainfall in the last 24-48 hours.

Read more: Monsoon floods wreak havoc on India, death toll up

There have been 59 confirmed deaths, according to Sandhaya Kureel, the spokesperson for the Disaster Management and Relief Department.

Officials and local media reports said most people lost their lives for a variety of reasons, including wall collapses, drowning, lightning and snake bites.

Widespread disruption

The focus is now "on rescue and relief work in the affected regions," Ravindra Pratap Sahi, vice chairman of the state disaster management authority, told AFP.

"We have moved thousands to relief shelters as there is a forecast of heavy rains in the next 48 hours in most of the affected districts of the state," Sahi said.

The temple city of Varanasi was lashed by 19 centimeters (7 inches) of rain on Thursday and Friday, flooding the bathing areas of the Ganges River used by thousands of Hindu pilgrims.

Schools were shut on Saturday as the downpour caused disruptions in the state capital, Lucknow, and several towns, including Amethi and Hardoi.

Necessary, but dangerous

J.P. Gupta, director of the state Meteorological Department, said the rain is expected to lessen after Monday.

The Press Trust of India news agency said the western state of Maharashtra was also hit by heavy rain, and nearly 3,000 people were moved to higher ground due to flooding in low-lying parts of the city of Pune and neighboring areas.

Flash floods after heavy rains killed at least 17 people in Maharashtra earlier this week.

More than 350 people have been killed in rain-related incidents in India, Nepal and Bangladesh this monsoon season, which runs from June through September.

The monsoon season sees heavy rains refill India's water reservoirs. They are vital for agriculture but cause immense destruction and loss of life and property.

Experts point to rising deforestation, poor urban planning and increased urbanization as the reasons behind the rise in the intensity of the floods.

sri/kmm/rc (AP, AFP)

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