WEB DESK
THE flood situation remains grim in Sangali, Satara and Kolhapur districts of Maharashtra. One rescue boat overturned today near Brahmanal in Sangali district. Till now 9 dead bodies are recovered taking death toll in recent floods to 25.
In Karnataka, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa visited flood-affected areas in Belagavi today morning. He also oversaw arrangements in the relief camps.
Speaking to media persons later, he informed that he has instructed officials to release five lakh cusecs of water from Almatti and Narayanpura dams to mitigate flooding upstream.
As heavy rain continues in Kerala, widespread damage has been reported from across the state.
In Tamil Nadu, several places witnessed moderate to heavy rain in the last 24 hours under the influence of the prevailing strong South West Monsoon winds.
The hilly tract of Avalanche near Ooty in Nilgiris District witnessed an unprecedented 82-centimetre rainfall in the last twenty-four hours. Director of the India Meteorology Department in Chennai, Puviyarasan said, it is the highest ever amount of rainfall recorded in the state.
Addressing media in Chennai today, he said it is next only to 96-centimetre rain recorded in Mumbai in 2005. He, however, said, a team of IMD officials from Chennai are heading to Avalanche to reconfirm the quantum of rainfall. He attributed unusually heavy rain there to the weather phenomenon called “orography,” which happens in hilly tracts.
Mr Puviyarasan also said, regions in the Western Ghats in the state may receive heavy to extremely heavy rain for the next two days due to the strong monsoon winds.
Fishermen have been asked not to venture into the Central, West and South West Bay for the next 24 hours and to the Andaman Sea for the next three days, as the sea would be rough.