New Delhi  - At least 174 people have died in India after flooding in several states across India over the weekend, taking the death toll in monsoon floods to cross
2,400 since June, government officials said Monday.

"Four states including Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa and Uttaranchal have reported the deaths since Friday evening," an official from the Disaster Management division of the federal Home Ministry said requesting anonymity.

"Most of the deaths involved drowning, landslides, house collapses and water-borne diseases," he added.

A total of 2,403 people have died in rain-related incidents across India since the monsoon rains began in June. Nearly 23 million people have been affected in the monsoon-driven floods across 16 states.

The flood situation in Uttar Pradesh and Orissa were described as "grim" as major rivers breached embankments and flooded large swathes of land.

Although the rains subsided in Orissa, several villages were under more than three feet of water as scores of marooned waited to be rescued to safer places.

According to government estimates 3 million people have been affected or displaced in the state.

The military air-dropped food packets to the stranded villagers as more than 1,250 motorized and row boats rescued people in the worst-hit districts.

Torrential rains across Uttar Pradesh led to the swelling of rivers and affected 200,000 people. Mathura, Agra and other cities along the Yamuna river geared up to face floods as the water levels crossed the danger mark.

Local agencies in national capital New Delhi also went on an high alert after the Yamuna which flows in from Uttar Pradesh had crossed the danger mark.

Parts of western Gujarat and Maharashtra states remained flooded. In eastern Bihar state, the worst-affected, the administration struggled to provide relief to more than 4.6 million.

India's monsoon season begins in June usually begins to subside by mid-September, but this year's rains have continued in several parts of the north, east and west. (dpa)