Heavy downpour halts lives

The eastern and the northeastern parts of the country including states like Assam, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal are witnessing heavy downpour and floods for the last few weeks. The rain is wreaking havoc with rivers breaching embankments and flooding roads and destroying houses and bridges.

More than half of the districts of Bihar are deluged with almost all the rivers flowing above the danger-level mark. According to the Bihar Disaster Management Authority, more than 3,867 villages in various districts are bearing the brunt of the flood. In Assam, which is experiencing the third wave of flood this year, 24 of its 32 districts are under water. About 33.45 lakh people and 2,970 villages have been affected, according to a report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority dated August 16. Floods this year have claimed 140 lives in the state. In Assam's neighbouring state Arunachal Pradesh, heavy landslides caused by incessant rains have blocked many roads. The remote Anjaw district remains cut off as the main road connecting it to the neighbouring districts has been blocked since August 8 owing to a landslide. Read the full report here.

Here's a video that shows the extent of devastation in Bihar.