At least ten people were reported dead on Sunday in landslides that have ravaged the northern states of India.
Flash floods and waterlogging wreaked havoc in New Delhi and Gurugram, causing great inconvenience to locals. As many as 17 trains have been cancelled while 12 others were diverted by the Northern Railways owing to the flood situation.
While Delhi received 153 mm of rain in 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, Chandigarh and Ambala in Haryana reported record rainfall of 322.2 mm and 224.1 mm respectively, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Videos of destructive landslides from Himachal Pradesh have emerged on various social media platforms. A Red alert has been issued and five people have been killed so far.
In Shimla’s Kotgarh area, three members of a family were killed after their house collapsed. One death each was reported in Kullu and Chamba districts.
Fourteen major landslides and 13 flash floods were reported while about 7000 roads have been closed in Himachal Pradesh.
In neighbouring Uttarakhand, three pilgrims drowned in the Ganga after their jeep fell into the river amid a landslide near Gular on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway.
State Disaster Response Force and police officials said there were 11 people in the jeep. Five people have been rescued, while a search is on for three others, they said and added that three bodies have been recovered by rescue personnel.
Two persons were also killed in Jammu and Kashmir after a landslide hit a passenger bus in Doda district.
Bodies of two soldiers, who were swept away by flash floods while crossing the Dogra Nallah on Saturday, were recovered in Poonch district of the Union Territory.
However, there was some relief in Srinagar from the heavy downpours and the yatra to the Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath resumed on Sunday from the Panjtarni and the Sheshnag base camps after remaining suspended for three days.
There were also reports of snowfall from high-altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh, where a red alert has been issued for heavy rains.
A red alert has been issued for Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua and Samba districts along with lower catchment areas with reports of water levels in rivers and streams crossing the danger mark.
Heavy monsoon rains in several parts of Punjab and Haryana led to massive waterlogging and flooding in low-lying areas, prompting authorities to swing into action in the worst-hit places.
The Punjab government has directed ministers, deputy commissioners, senior superintendents of police and other officials concerned to visit the affected areas and provide the required assistance to people.
In Haryana, a flood control room has been established amid three rivers Markanda, Ghaggar and Tangri flowing close to the danger mark.
Heavy rainfall led to severe waterlogging and traffic congestion in several parts of Gurugram in the state with the administration advising corporate houses to work from home on Monday and schools to announce a holiday.
In Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that all schools will remain closed on Monday in view of the incessant rain in the national capital. Waterlogging led to traffic woes with people wading through inundated roads, vehicles getting stuck and underpasses flooded.
Amit Shah speaks to Punjab, HP CMs
Union home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the chief ministers of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, and the lieutenant governors of Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, sources said.
The home minister assured them all central help in tackling the arising situation.
The sources said Shah spoke to the chief ministers of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and took updates about losses due to the rains.
In view of the heavy rains in the national capital, the home minister also spoke to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and took updates.
The home minister also spoke to LG of the Jammu and Kashmir and took information about the Amarnath pilgrimage which was suspended due to heavy rains, sources said.
Shah appreciated the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force for helping the Amarnath pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The NDRF and the SDRF have always stood tall in service to the nation and humanity despite all odds. Their role has been crucial in fulfilling our goal of providing a safer Amarnath Yatra to every pilgrim. Sharing a photograph of an SDRF Jawan carrying a lady yatri on his back for 3 km through the unforgiving terrain of the Himalayas on her way back from the holy shrine. I applaud them for being the beacon of safety for the citizens,” he tweeted.
