At least 18 persons died across North India over the past two days as heavy rainfall and landslides caused widespread destruction.
Many parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh and Delhi have received heavy rainfall since July 8. The India Meteorological Department has said that the weather conditions were caused by the interaction of a western disturbance and monsoon winds, The Indian Express reported on Monday.
“We had good monsoon circulation, and at the same time a western disturbance was passing over the region,” Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the director general of India Meteorological Department, said. “So, we had strong westerly winds, along with moist easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal, resulting in convergence of these two types of winds over northwest India.”
Himachal Pradesh
At least six persons died in Himachal Pradesh in the 24 hours leading up to Sunday morning, The Hindu reported.
The state’s Emergency Operation Centre said that three persons died in a landslide at Madholi village in Shimla district on Sunday. Another death in a landslide was recorded at Shimla’s Rajhana village.
In Kullu district’s Lankabekar village, a woman was killed as she was buried under debris following a landslide. On Saturday, authorities found another person dead under rubble at the Kakiyan village in Chamba district.
Fifty-four persons have died in the Himachal Pradesh since monsoon hit the hill state. Over 730 roads, including three national highways, have been closed due to landslides.
Visuals from PTI showed flash floods hitting the Thunag area of the Mandi district.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday urged the residents to remain at home for the next 24 hours. He added that the government is making efforts to rescue those stranded due to the rains.
The government has directed all educational institutes in the state to remain closed on July 10 and July 11.
Uttarakhand
Three persons died in the Tehri Garhwal district’s Muni Ki Reti area after a jeep carrying 11 pilgrims from the town of Kedarnath fell into the Ganga river, The Indian Express reported.
Five persons have been injured. State Disaster Response Force officials are looking for the remaining three.
At least two persons died in Udham Singh Nagar after parts of two homes collapsed amid heavy rains.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that a head constable named Chaman Singh Tomar died in the Uttarkashi district after he was hit by a boulder while on duty.
Jammu and Kashmir
Two Army personnel were killed in Poonch district as they were swept away in a flash flood. The deceased were identified as Lance Naik Telu Ram and Naib Subhedar Kuldeep Singh.
In Doda district, two persons died after the bus they were travelling in was hit by a landslide, The Hindu reported. The incident occurred in Doda’s Bhanghroo-Gandoh village.
On July 8, heavy rains had also washed away a stretch of the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Ramban district.
The annual Amarnath pilgrimage had also been suspended for three days due to heavy rainfall. The pilgrimage resumed from Pahalgam on Sunday and from Baltal in the Ganderbal district on Monday.
However, the pilgrimage remained suspended from Jammu on Monday due to the damage to the Jammu-Srinagar highway, PTI reported. Over 6,000 pilgrims were stranded at the Bhagwatinagar base camp in Jammu, while over 5,000 pilgrims were at the Chanderkot base camp in the Ramban district.
Delhi
A 30-year-old woman was killed after the wall of a veterinary hospital collapsed on her in north Delhi’s Subzi Mandi area on Sunday, the police said, according to PTI. The woman was identified as Priti, a resident of Haryana’s Sonepat district.
An autorickshaw driver died in Rohini area after a tree fell on his vehicle amid heavy rain.
The national capital received 153 millimetres of rain in the 24 hours leading up to 8.30 am on Sunday, the highest in a day in July since 1982, according to the India Meteorological Department.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday cancelled the week off for all government officers and employees and asked them to address rain-related issues.
The Yamuna river’s water level is expected to cross the danger mark by Tuesday and the state government is preparing for the evacuation of people living near the river, Delhi Public Works Department minister Atishi told PTI.
The national capital received 153 millimetres of rain in 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday, breaking a 41-year record.
Meanwhile, Chandigarh registered 302.2 millimetres of rainfall in the 24 hours leading up Sunday morning, an all-time high for the city, according to the Hindustan Times reported. The Sukhna Lake overflowed for the first time in the city’s history after which officials opened two floodgates in the early hours of Sunday.
The India Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh till July 10.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!