Heavy rainfall across eastern and central India over the past 48 hours has killed at least 18 people, damaged crops and property and triggered widespread flooding, forcing thousands of residents to leave their homes for safer locations.
Uttar Pradesh has reported the highest number of fatalities, while Odisha has seen more than 40,000 people evacuated following heavy rain across 10 districts. Floodwaters have also entered homes in Bihar, while rain-triggered flooding and waterlogging have disrupted normal life and road connectivity in Chhattisgarh.
Uttar Pradesh bears brunt of heavy rainfall
At least 17 people were killed and five injured in Uttar Pradesh during the past 48 hours as extremely heavy rain accompanied by strong winds affected several parts of the state during the retreating monsoon.
Sixty-three of Uttar Pradesh's 75 districts recorded above-normal rainfall, while the state received 19 times its normal rainfall in the 24 hours ending Saturday, according to relief commissioner Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod. The downpour and strong winds also damaged standing crops in rural areas.
The deaths were reported from several districts. One person each died in Amethi, Bahraich, Banda, Barabanki, Basti, Fatehpur, Hamirpur, Hardoi and Kanpur Nagar; two deaths were reported in Ayodhya and four in Lakhimpur Kheri.
The relief commissioner's office said one of the deaths in Bahraich was caused by a wall collapse, while a person in Basti died during a thunderstorm.
The state recorded average rainfall of 52.5 mm in the 24 hours until 8.30 am on Saturday, with several observatories recording more than 200 mm. Lucknow's Amausi recorded 135.8 mm, while an observatory at Hanuman Setu recorded 201.2 mm.
The intense rainfall has damaged standing Kharif crops, while farmers and officials have raised concerns about delays to Rabi sowing because waterlogged fields may take time to become suitable for cultivation.
The Ganga Expressway was also affected. Torrential rain caused severe waterlogging near the Bashiratganj toll plaza in Unnao on Saturday, disrupting traffic on the state's ambitious 594-km infrastructure project. Unnao recorded 65 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours leading up to Saturday morning, according to the India Meteorological Department.
Odisha evacuates more than 40,000 people
Odisha has also faced extensive flooding after heavy rainfall affected more than 73,000 people across 10 districts in the past 48 hours.
More than 40,000 people were evacuated to safer locations, state revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari said on Saturday. Southern Odisha was particularly affected, with Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Ganjam and Gajapati among the districts reporting widespread impact.
According to the latest government assessment, 80 blocks, 325 gram panchayats, 1,071 villages and 49 wards in 10 urban local bodies have been affected.
Special relief commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said 721 houses had been partially or fully damaged and 4,480 hectares of cropland had been affected. Sixteen villages remained waterlogged.
The rainfall was associated with a deep depression that had affected parts of Odisha, prompting authorities to maintain heightened preparedness in vulnerable districts. The India Meteorological Department had warned of continued heavy rainfall in parts of the region.
Bihar, Chhattisgarh remain on flood alert
In Bihar, continuous rainfall in Nepal and its catchment areas, together with sustained water discharge from the Valmikinagar barrage, pushed the Gandak River into homes in West Champaran district on Saturday.
More than 2,000 villagers were forced to move to safer locations, according to Bagaha-2 circle officer Wasim Akram.
Bihar chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit directed district authorities in sensitive riverine areas to remain on high alert, anticipating a possible rise in rivers originating in the hilly regions of Nepal.
The state recorded an average of about 54 mm of rainfall over September 24 and 25, according to IMD data cited by CEIC, with moderate to heavy rain continuing into September 26 and sharp localised rainfall extremes.
In Chhattisgarh, persistent heavy rain caused flooding and waterlogging, disrupted road connectivity and prompted authorities to close schools in eight districts.
A 40-year-old farmer drowned in Kondagaon on Friday after falling into a swollen drain while attempting to catch fish from a waterlogged paddy field, officials said.
Government and private schools were closed in Dantewada, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Kanker, Bastar, Gariaband, Dhamtari and Durg because of the weather conditions. Quarterly examinations in government schools in the affected areas were also postponed.
The continuing rainfall has prompted authorities across the affected states to monitor rivers, low-lying areas and vulnerable settlements closely as the monsoon enters its withdrawal phase.