Heavy overnight rains hit the western Indian city of Mumbai, disrupting relief work in monsoon floods that have already claimed more than 1 200 lives nationwide.
According to state officials, the death toll from torrential monsoon showers has risen to 924 across the western state of Maharashtra, which includes 425 deaths in the state capital, Mumbai.
The fatalities have been reported from Mumbai and its adjoining areas such as Thane and Raigad since July 26, a day when Mumbai received the highest single day of rainfall in India recorded in a century.
Schools, colleges and educational institutions were closed as incessant rains since Sunday evening threw life out of gear in Mumbai.
Flooding persisted in many of the city’s low-lying areas and suburbs, affecting relief work. People are facing food and drinking-water shortages in several areas.
The authorities evacuated about 10 000 people in the Sangli area when the Koyna dam started overflowing, the NDTV network reported.
Air traffic and railway services were also affected partially. A number of take-offs and landings were disrupted on Monday.
But financial markets were functioning in the city, which is considered India’s business capital.
There is no relief in sight as the weather department has predicted heavy rains in the next 48 hours. Authorities have asked people not to venture out of their homes unless necessary.
Angry at what they called the state government’s inaction in providing relief to Mumbai residents, celebrities from the Indian film industry, Bollywood, which is based in Mumbai, have formed a voluntary organisation, the Hindustan Times reported.
Noted director Mahesh Bhatt said the organisation Jaag India (India Awake) will soon move public-interest litigation in court.
”We want to file public-interest litigation because we want the court to look into the role the government has played. We want the court to monitor the government’s moves.
”We are here to express our anguish and anger at what the government and bureaucracy have done to the city’s civic system, which collapsed within four hours of the rainfall. We want to question the authorities [about] what they have done with our taxes,” Bhatt was quoted by the paper as saying.
TV channels reported that the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had spoken to the state Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and offered help for emergency relief. Singh has also asked the armed forces to provide boats for flood-hit areas in the state.
Floods driven by heavy rains also affected other states in the country. Seven deaths were reported from the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, TV channels said. Six people died when heavy showers lashed eastern Indian’s Orissa on Sunday.
In all, more than 1 200 people have lost their lives due to monsoon rains, which have affected more than a dozen states in India since last month. Maharashtra and another western Indian state of Gujarat account for more than 85% of the deaths. — Sapa-DPA