-The Telegraph   An atmospheric depression that created a zone of rain across parts of Orissa caused water levels to rise in several rivers, meteorologists said today. The depression had delivered rain over Balasore, Keonjhar, Angul districts late last week, causing the upper Brahmani and lower Brahmani to swell, but scientists today said they expect no rainfall over the next two days. “At 9 this morning, the Brahmani (river) at Jenapur had risen to...

-The Telegraph   After Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani are wreaking havoc and the two rivers have left as many as 1,114 villages marooned. Six choppers of the navy and air force were pressed into service for airdropping relief material in the flood-affected pockets. Two more helicopters are expected to reach by tomorrow to expedite the relief operation. “The next 36 hours will be crucial as the water level of the Brahmani is rising,” said...

-BBC   More than two million people have been affected by floods in India as torrential rains lash Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states. Heavy monsoon rains have been battering parts of India for the past fortnight. More than 80 people have died in flood-related incidents, and some areas have been cut off by rising waters. Heavy rains in Uttar Pradesh have triggered off house and wall collapses, and a flood alert has been...

Torrential rain and fresh landslides on Saturday hampered search and Rescue operations in North Sikkim's quake-affected areas. The death toll of the Sikkim quake stood at 77. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit Sikkim on September 27. He will fly over north Sikkim for an aerial survey of the quake-hit areas. State information secretary Karma Topgay said the Sikkim government will give him a memorandum about the assistance needed from the...

The army in Sikkim is fed up with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) because its personnel are not only unfit for Rescue and relief work but also a drain on the military’s resources. Army officers are wary of speaking out in public on the difficulties of helping the NDRF — which they have been asked to by the home ministry — but it takes little for them to vent their...