Heavy rains and floods wreaked havoc in North and North West India on Tuesday, with at least seven additional deaths confirmed and hundreds more people stranded amid continuing relief and rescue efforts.
Himachal Pradesh remains the worst-affected state, with the majority of people dying or becoming stuck due to days of nonstop rain and raging floods. Several bridges have been swept away, and over 1,000 routes, including the Shimla-Kalka and Manali-Chandigarh national highways, are still closed due to washed-away sections or debris.
Key Points
- Thousands of residents in Delhi have been moved to safer regions as the Yamuna River has risen above the danger level and low-lying districts have begun to flood.
- According to PTI, four of the seven deaths recorded on Tuesday occurred in Uttarakhand, with the remainder occurring in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab.
- Rains are expected to decrease in Himachal from Tuesday, but will lash Uttarakhand for the next five days and Uttar Pradesh for the following two days, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
- Hundreds of people remain stuck in the worst-affected Himachal Pradesh, despite continued relief and rescue efforts. According to the IMD, while rainfall is expected to decrease after Tuesday, flash floods are possible. According to PTI, the IMD has warned of the probability of moderate to high flash floods in Shimla, Sirmaur, and Kinnaur districts.
- Himachal Pradesh, the worst-affected state, has lost around Rs 780 crore since the start of the monsoon on June 24, and the cumulative death toll in the state has reached 72, according to Principal Secretary, Revenue, Onkar Chand Sharma.
- As the rains subsided in Punjab and Haryana, officials and ordinary citizens worked together to provide assistance and cleanup.
- On Monday, one rain-related fatality was recorded in Punjab.
- According to PTI, the water level in the dams has reached critical levels.
- On Monday, four of the seven rain-related deaths were recorded in Uttarakhand.
- The IMD has also issued a flash flood warning for the state.
- On Monday night, a landslip prompted by heavy rain buried three vehicles at the Gangnani bridge on the Gangotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district, killing four pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh and injuring seven others, according to PTI.
- According to the IMD forecast, significant rain is expected in Uttarakhand for the next five days and in Uttar Pradesh for the following two days.
- According to the IMD, there is a moderate probability of flash floods in Uttarakhand during the next 24 hours.
- According to authorities, significant to extremely heavy rainfall was recorded in isolated portions of Rajasthan, which reportedly reported rain-related deaths.
- Shivganj in Sirohi district recorded the highest 13-centimetre downpour in a 24-hour period ending Tuesday morning, officials told PTI, adding that light to moderate rainfall fell in most places in the state’s eastern region and in isolated places in the western region during the same period.
- A 42-year-old main killed and his wife and children were injured after their house fell in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, during severe rain.
- Gautam Buddh Nagar, like many other sections of the National Capital Region (NCR) and bordering Western Uttar Pradesh, including Delhi and Meerut, has received severe rains in recent days.
