Floods affect major parts of India

CHANDIGARH/DISPUR/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Army help das been sought in Ambala and Kurukshetra districts of Haryana following heavy rains in the state. In neighbouring Punjab, vast tracts agriculture land have been inundated.

Rains have disrupted road and rail traffic, leaving a large number of people stranded in various areas in the two Haryana districts, officials said.

Deputy Commissioner of Ambala confirmed a breach in the river Tangri in Jadhpur sub-division in neighbouring Punjab and in the river Ghaggar.

The right side of the National Highway leading to Punjab from Ambala has been closed to vehicular traffic due to flooding.

So far, the floods have claimed 50 lives and displaced almost half a million people in the south and northeast, government officials said.

Five people have drowned in Assam. Thirteen of the state’s 27 districts have been hit by floods, including Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Baksa and Bongaigaon.

In Kerala, over 23,000 people have been affected by floods, and, 48 people have died. Officials said they have opened a 24-hour control room in all districts to track the movement of the floodwaters. (ANI)