Haryana officials on Wednesday morning released 28,253 cusecs of water from the Hathni Kund barrage pushing water levels in the Yamuna past the danger mark at the Old Delhi railway bridge, ANI reported. Karnal Deputy Commissioner Aditya Dahiya said water entered several villages in the district on Tuesday, Hindustan Times reported.
The Karnal official said the local administration is prepared to conduct evacuation operations if needed. “We have our disaster management teams on alert,” Dahiya said. The district deputy commissioner said the state government has asked revenue officials to assess the damage caused to crops in the affected areas.
The India Meteorological Department said the rain would significantly decrease from Wednesday and that the monsoon will start withdrawing from West Rajasthan on Saturday, The Times of India reported.
On Tuesday, heavy rain in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Haryana triggered landslides blocking highways and roads, flash foods and damaged crops. At least 25 people have died in rain-related incidents in these states on Monday and Tuesday.
Himachal Pradesh
On Tuesday, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur visited Kullu to monitor the damage caused by the rain. Thakur said the state incurred an estimated loss of over Rs 1,280 crore and that the damage caused over the last four days is yet to be assessed.
The chief minister assessed the rehabilitation and rescue operations and conducted an aerial survey of Lahaul. Two Advanced Light Helicopter and one Medium Lift Helicopters have been deployed in Bhuntar. The ALH rescued 7 people from Patsio on Tuesday, five from Bara-Lacha Pass and 14 people from Stingri on Wednesday, ANI reported.
On Tuesday, rescue personnel launched an operation to help over 1,000 people who were stranded in the upper regions of Manali and Keylong after a fresh spell of snow, The New Indian Express reported. At least eight people were washed away in flash floods that were triggered by heavy rain in several districts of the state.
Punjab
The state agriculture department asked farmers to drain out excess water that had stagnated in low-lying areas in their fields over the last few days, The Tribune reported.
In Chandigarh, nine houses in a colony in Suratpur were swept away after the Haryana Irrigation Department opened the floodgates of the Kaushalya dam on Tuesday, reported The Indian Express. The level of water in the dam had breached the danger mark of 478 metres, which forced the officials to open three of the six gates.
However, no deaths or injuries were reported.
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