Rajouri/Vadodara/Aurangabad, July 22 (ANI): While heavy rains lashed several parts of India on Tuesday, certain regions continued to experience dry spells.
Life in Jammu and Kashmir came to a halt on Tuesday following a heavy downpour. Residents were forced to move to make-shift camps as rain water entered their houses in Rajouri District.
Beleaguered locals demanded help from the state government.
“Our houses have fallen, so, we have made this temporary settlement to stay. We fear flooding of river. We request some help. We cannot stay in our houses, as it is filled with rain water and many houses have fallen. It is raining heavily,” said a resident, Farooq.
However, rains brought some respite to people in Vadodara.
Annual monsoon season is vital for India as half of its cropland lacks irrigation. The rains support two-thirds of India’s 1.25 billion population who live in rural areas and rely on farming.
But excessive rains cause many problems such as floods, landslides and water borne diseases.
In Aurangabad district, farmers suffered, as extreme hot weather and no rainfall destroyed their crops.
“The clouds are moving here but there is no drop of rain. The dark clouds are bringing no rains here but moving towards Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh where there is heavy rainfall happening,” said a farmer, Omkar.
Reports suggested that the region received 1.67 mm rainfall on Tuesday evening.
In Maharashtra, the country’s third-largest state, the government estimated last year that more than 19,000 villages had no access to water. (ANI)