The toll in rain-related deaths in Kerala touched 20 on Thursday as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan postponed Saturday's annual Nehru boat race in Alappuzha in view of heavy showers forecast.

The ruling BJP in Jharkhand and Trinamool Congress in West Bengal are having a showdown over the colour to be used for painting Jharkhand's Massanjore dam and the 'Biswa Bangla' logo on an adjacent welcome gate.

The Idukki dam, where the water level is inching up towards the danger level, has come to symbolise the tenuous ties between faith and the fear of floods. A 'puja' was performed on Tuesday, praying for the dam gates to remain shut so that nearby areas escape flooding. The last time the gates were opened was in 1992.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ambitious 138 metre inter-state Sardar Sarovar Dam project on Narmada river on his 67th birthday on Sunday, linking it with his "mission" to create a new India and roared: "I will live for your dreams, I will die for your dreams."

A major dam outside Houston city in the US' Texas state has begun overflowing as storm Harvey pushed the reservoir past capacity, officials said.

According to experts, the Mosul dam is slowly sinking and is on the verge of collapse. They believe if the dam bursts or face just a partial breach then it could create a wave 82ft high sparking fears that 7million lives are at risk if it breaks.