Heavy rains and flooding in the drought-prone north-western state of Rajasthan have claimed as many as 14 lives and have adversely affected the lives of many people in the state.
Jaipur received a record 300 mm rainfall in the tehsil and 170 mm in the city in past two days, The Indian Express reported.
This year's rainfall is said to be the heaviest in over three decades after 1981, when the city had recorded 326 mm rainfall in a single day.
Normalcy in the state had come to a standstill with schools shut down for the second day in a row. The markets opened late in the day with a major drop in the numbers.
People living in the low lying areas have suffered the most as rain waters entered and accumulated inside houses, forcing many to take shelter on rooftops. Even the compounds and basements of multi-storey buildings were submerged, causing major damage to the property and vehicles.
According to reports, thousands of people living in the low lying areas have been asked to shift to safer places.
The main city roads interconnecting the state have developed cracks and heavy water logging has affected the traffic in the city.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday announced a compensation of ₹150,000 each for the families of the deceased.
"It was the highest rain of this season in Jaipur. The last time the city witnessed such rain was in 1981 as well as on August 16, 1959 when it recorded 32.6 cm and 18.8 cm rain respectively," MET official SS Singh told Press Trust of India.
According to the Met forecast, heavy rainfall is likely to take place in eastern Rajasthan including Ajmer, Kota, Bikaner, Jhunjunu, and Jaipur during next 24 hours.
