NEW DELHI, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Floods erupted in several Indian states including Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra after incessant rains over the past few days.
Local TV channels showed water entering the houses in certain places in Uttarakhand and West Bengal, throwing normal life out of gear.
In Uttarakhand, several roads have been blocked for the past couple of days after frequent landslides in the area following heavy rains. The areas of Chamoli, Rishikesh and Rudraprayag have been mostly affected, with many areas being cut from the rest of the state after landslides blocked the roads.
Water-logging up to 90 cm has been reported from several parts of the eastern state of Bihar. In some areas, water entered houses, forcing people to spend nights either on rooftops or at makeshift beds at higher altitudes.
TV footage showed people commuting on boats in most flood-affected areas in Bihar. Bridges have collapsed at some places, cutting villages from district headquarters or nearby cities.
The situation was similar in eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh that adjoins Bihar, local media reported.
The current rains are pre-monsoon showers, as the normal monsoon time in the upper half of India usually falls on July to August.
Manorma Mohanty, a meteorological department official in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city, was quoted as saying that the southwest monsoon is most likely to cover the entire state of Gujarat in a day or two. "This is earlier than the normal date which is June 30," she added.
West Bengal's capital city Kolkata and its nearby areas have been inundated for the past couple of days due to continuous downpour.
Similar situations have emerged in other Indian states including Karnataka, Kerala and Odisha. Enditem
