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Heavy rain cripples Tami Nadu, Karnataka, Bengal

     Bangalore/Kolkata: Heavy rain over the last two days has crippled life in the southern and eastern India, barely a month after the June-September monsoon, which caused severe flooding in several other parts of the country. In Karnataka's capital Bangalore, most of the areas have been under knee-deep water. Police officials were pressed to managing traffic in water logged areas. AL Koppar, Director of the Meteorological department, Bangalore, said that the rains were caused by the northeast monsoon. "In the first half of the October, the South-Eastern monsoon was withdrawing from the country, and at that time there were low pressure areas as well, which caused continuous rainfall over the state and over the southern districts including Bangalore. But, when the Northeast monsoon set in over the Bay of Bengal and started affecting the costal Tamil Nadu and interior part of Tamil Nadu and adjoining areas of Karnataka. Once again the low pressure area are building up," he said.

    Meanwhile, in West Bengal, East and West Midnapore districts have been the worst affected with more than two million people being rendered homeless after almost a week of incessant rains. Majority of the agricultural land in the two districts is under water and standing crops have been severely damaged. 320,000 hectares of paddy - almost 70 percent of the produce in the state - have been damaged by the rains. 20,000 hectares of vegetable farms have also been inundated in rising waters. "In the Midnapore district has been the most affected in the floods. At least 22 lakh (2.2 million) people have been affected. In West Midnapore, Sanang, Nathau, Naraingarh, Pingha and Mohanpur have been affected most. Our crops, mat and fish industry have been destroyed," said Manash Bhuniya, a local legislator. Though the weather has improved the administration has not scaled down the state of high alert across the state. Many shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the roads due to this unseasonal floods.

    In Tamil Nadu, it was incessant rains continuing on Tuesday, causing two more deaths in Krishnagiri District of the state to take the death toll to 25, official sources said. The rains have destroyed over 600 huts in Kangampauripattinam area of Salem District so far, affecting the normal life severely. Meanwhile, locals of the low-lying areas here have been directed to move to safer places after river water entered the colonies, while schools and colleges in various districts remained closed, sources said adding that a control room had been opened in Srirganam. Temporary relief measures were being taken up in Krishnagiri District, where 300 houses were damaged and 1500 acres of cultivated land affected by floods, Mangatram Sharma District Collector said. He further added that eight tanks had breached and four highway roads had been partially cut off in the district. According to the Meteorological Department, Chennai has received 11 cm of rainfall so far.