© PTIRain fury throws life out of gear in various north Indian states.
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Gujarat
Torrential rain has led to a flood-like situation in parts of Gujarat that has submerged the low-lying areas in the state. Heavy to very heavy rains lashed several districts in Gujarat's south and Saurashtra regions on Saturday, reported PTI. The showers have triggered a flood-like situation in urban areas as water levels rise in dams and rivers.
One of the worst hit cities, Junagadh witnessed dozens of parked cars and cattle sweeping away in gushing waters after the town received 241 mm of rainfall in just 12 hours till 8 pm on Saturday, the PTI report stated. Till Saturday evening, as per PTI, at least 250 people evacuated to safer places.
Two companies of NDRF were deployed in Junagadh and a third company was also being dispatched. SDRF also allocated two teams, along with five fire response teams of Rajkot municipal corporation and its adjoining Gondal municipality to carry out rescue operations, stated PTI.
Officials said that over 25,000 food packets were being prepared with the support of various social organisations to deliver food to the flood-affected people in Junagadh district.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel meanwhile cut short his official programmes in Rajkot and reached the district collector's office to review the situation in Junagadh.
In south Gujarat, heavy rains pummelled Navsari district throwing normal life out of gear. Navsari and Jalalpore talukas recorded 303 mm and 276 mm rainfall, respectively, between 6 am and 8 pm, State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said, as per PTI.
The rainfall caused massive traffic congestion and also flooded the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway near Navsari city, officials said. Ahmedabad city was also battered by 101 mm of rainfall in just two hours on Saturday evening.
IMD has issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall in south Gujarat and Saurashtra-Kutch districts till Sunday morning. A red alert has been issued for Junagadh, Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Kutch, Surat, Valsad, Navsari and Surat. Heavy to very heavy rainfall will continue in many other districts of south Gujarat and Saurashtra-Kutch during the next three days, the IMD said, reported PTI.
Uttar Pradesh
In Noida and Ghaziabad, due to the rise in the water level of the Hindon River, houses have been submerged in low-lying areas.
Sureshrao Kulkarni, Additional Commissioner of Police said, "Water entered some houses in the low-lying areas...as a precautionary measure, people have been evacuated to a safer place. The situation is normal at the moment and we are monitoring the water level and spreading awareness about it."
"An unexpected increase in water discharge has flooded several upstream villages such as Karhera, Ator Nagla, and Firozpur Mohan, among others. The floodplains have been submerged, and we have deployed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to evacuate people to safer areas. Four shelters have been prepared, and approximately 1,000 people have been relocated," said Vinay Kumar Singh, sub-divisional magistrate (Sadar), as quoted by HT.
Jammu And Kashmir
The flow of water has increased in a river in Kathua amid heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir. A cloudburst here on Saturday led to a flood-like situation in the Doda district. A batch of over 3,000 Amarnath pilgrims was briefly stopped in Ramban on Saturday following landslides at two places along the Jammu-Srinagar highway, officials said, as per PTI.
Meanwhile, the water level of the Chenab River increased following the cloudburst and rain in Jammu and Srinagar. Officials said that the cloudburst around the Kota Nullah in the Doda district washed away a stretch of the Thaleela-Chirala link road. It led to mudslides and a flood-like situation in Kota Nullah. However, no loss of life or injury was reported, the officials further told PTI.
The report further mentioned that a Gujjar hamlet at Ghadkhal in the Akhnoor sector on the outskirts of Jammu was inundated due to a rise in the water level of Chenab.
Ladakh
A cloudburst on Saturday led to flash floods in Ladakh, throwing life out of gear, as several parts in Leh were inundated and debris entered many buildings in the low-lying areas. However, no casualty was reported, according to news agency PTI.
The cloudburst in Ladakh hit the Gangles area and according to police, rescue and rehabilitation work was underway in Leh, especially in Khakshal, Sanker, Skampari, Chhubi, Zangsti and the main market Gonpa Soma areas. An event of the Dalai Lama in Leh had to be postponed due to the flash floods.
Ladakh Police urged the public, civil societies and volunteers to help them in the rescue efforts so that normal life and traffic regulations could be resumed at the earliest.
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand is again witnessing rainfall after floods wreaked havoc in the state. A landslide occurred in Rudraprayag and the debris from the hill rolled onto the road in Sirobagarh.
Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Rohila said that due to heavy rain, 50 buildings have been damaged in Purola, Barkot and Dunda of Uttarkashi district. "50 roads are closed in the district. Electricity supply has stopped in about 40 villages and more than 400 drains of agricultural land have been washed away," he added.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Uttarakhand till July 25.
Delhi
Flood-affected victims continue to take shelter in relief camps as the water level of the Yamuna River increases again. According to ANI, Yamuna's water level crossed the danger mark, recorded at 205.81 meters at 7 am on Sunday. Revenue Minister Atishi on Saturday said that the Delhi government is on high alert after the discharge of over 2 lakh cusecs of water from the Hathnikund Barrage into the Yamuna.
According to Central Water Commission (CWC), the flow rate at the Yamunanagar-located Hathnikund Barrage crossed the 1 lakh-mark at 9 am and oscillated between 2 lakh and 2.5 lakh cusecs between 10 am and 4 pm.
AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj visited the Wazirabad water treatment plan and said, "The Delhi Jal Board has made embankments & reinforcement at vulnerable spots...Last time, water had seeped into the pumps and three water treatment plants had to be closed...But this time the Jal Board administration was well prepared. People are still residing in the relief camps & the govt has made all arrangements for them..."
Maharashtra
On Sunday, Mumbai received a fresh spell of rain leading to troubles for commuters. Around 110 people stranded in flood-hit Mahagaon tehsil of eastern Maharashtra's Yavatmal were rescued after incessant rain battered the district. According to PTI, Mahagaon tehsil recorded 231 mm of rainfall from midnight till Saturday morning, while the district recorded 117.5 mm showers.
The Indian Air Force as well as the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is engaged in rescue work in a village in Mahagaon tehsil of eastern Maharashtra's Yavatmal district on Saturday evening. Two helicopters of the Indian Air Force reached the spot to take part in the rescue operation, news agency PTI reported officials as saying.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed in a tweet that 45 people were stranded in Anandnagar Tanda village of Mahagaon tehsil. The district is around 150 km from Nagpur and has been receiving heavy rains since Friday morning, leading to flooding in many areas and prompting the evacuation measures.
Fadnavis took to Twitter and informed: "According to the information received from the Yavatmal district administration, all the 110 citizens trapped in Anandnagar Tanda in Mahagaon taluka have been evacuated and shifted to a safe place. The team completed the mission with the help of boats under the supervision of the Indian Air Force #SDRF . Congratulations to the entire team."
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Nagpur has predicted thunderstorms with lightning and heavy to heavy rainfall in isolated places in Yavatmal, Gadchiroli, Amravati, and Washim districts in Vidarbha on Saturday.
IMD has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated areas in Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts for Sunday. The weather department has also issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall in isolated places in Mumbai for Sunday.
Himachal Pradesh
In Himachal Pradesh's Shimla, three persons were feared dead after their dhaba was swept away in a flash flood earlier in the day, PTI reported. Several houses were damaged and a one-metre deep crack developed along the Bazaar Road at Khaltu Nullah in Kotkhai tehsil, Shimla Deputy Commissioner Aditya Negi told PTI.
Many areas of Himachal Pradesh received heavy downpour in the last 24 hours, with Sirmaur receiving 195 mm of rainfall, IMD said. The weather office also issued an orange alert for Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur and Bilaspur districts, news agency ANI reported.
IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Himachal Pradesh till July 25.
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