Rains claim 48 lives in 3 days in Maha, flood situation grim in Karnataka
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 48 people have lost their lives in Maharashtra in the last three days due to showers and deluge which have extensively damaged crops on lakhs of hectares.
Of the 48 people who have lost their lives in the last three days, 29 have died in Pune division, 16 in Aurangabad division and three in coastal Konkan, officials said on Friday.
In neighboring Karnataka, the northern region of the state was the worst affected area that 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 favorable 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 unfavorable" 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 3,000 houses were damaged in heavy rains and floods in Western Maharashtra where more than 40,000 people were moved to safer places.
Crops such as sugarcane, soybean, vegetables, rice, pomegranate, and cotton spread over 87,000 hectares in Pune, Solapur, Satara, Sangli, and Kolhapur districts have suffered damage.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar reviewed the flood situation caused due to heavy rains in western Maharashtra and asked the local administration to conduct a 'panchnama' of damaged crops, houses, and other properties immediately.
Considering the forecast of the weather department, Pawar asked the administrations of Pune, Solapur, Sangli, Satara, and Kolhapur to remain alert.
The Maharashtra government said it will ask the Centre to provide compensation to farmers who have suffered crop damage and lost their source of livelihood due to heavy rains and subsequent floods in parts of the state.
Relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar said farmers, mostly in districts coming under the Pune division, have suffered huge crop damage in heavy rains on October 14 and 15 caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal.
Meanwhile, the flood situation in many parts of Karnataka was grim on Friday due to torrential rains and the release of water from the major dams in the state.
Yediyurappa said Rs 85.5 crore has been released and rescue equipment supplied to the affected districts.
Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Yadgir, Koppal, Gadag, Dharwad, Bagalkote, Vijayapura, and Haveri were the worst hit.
An overflowing river Bhima wreaked havoc in Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts inundating many villages and destroying standing crops.
Reports said water had also gushed into food storage warehouses and lentil mills destroying food grains and goods stored there.
"While the average rainfall by the end of September in the state is approximately 800 mm, this year it has reached about 1,000 mm. This trend is across all the four divisions of South Interior, North Interior, Malnad Region, and Coastal Karnataka," a KDMA official said.
The KDMA in association with the district authorities has also opened 41 relief camps, including 36 in Kalaburagi alone where 4,864 people have been given shelter.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
