Monsoon mayhem: Death toll mounts to 15 in Punjab, Haryana; 9 killed in Uttarakhand

Rains in Haryana and Punjab abated after three days of onslaught even as several parts still remained flooded and the death toll due to rain-related incident mounted to 15.

Six more people were reported dead on Tuesday (July 11) due to rain-related incidents, with the overall death toll in the last three days rising to 15. Eight deaths were reported in Punjab, while seven people lost their lives in Haryana.

The days-long rain has left behind a trail of destruction in its wake with properties worth crores obliterated and farmlands flooded.

Also read: Flood warning in Delhi after Haryana discharges water from Hathnikund barrage

In Punjab, more than 9,000 people were evacuated in Patiala, Rupnagar, Moga, Ludhiana, Mohali, SBS Nagar and Fatehgarh Sahib districts, officials said on Tuesday.

The weather remained clear at most places on Tuesday in the region, bringing much succour to the people who were busy salvaging whatever was left from the wreckage.

The incessant downpour inundated homes and caused extensive damage to crops and vegetables in many districts.

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Ambala, Patiala, and Rupnagar, the worst-hit of the lot, remained water-logged. Government officials said relief shelters have been set up in several districts, including Rupnagar, Patiala, Mohali, Ambala, and Panchkula in the two states.

The eight from Punjab were reported from Fatehgarh Sahib, Rupnagar, Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar, and Mohali districts.

The Chief ministers of the two states are closely monitoring the situation, officials said.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Tuesday directed administrative secretaries in charge of flood-affected districts to rush to the areas assigned to them and oversee the relief work.

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Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma held a high-level meeting on Tuesday to review the rain damage and orchestrate relief work in the affected areas.

Uttarakhand

Meanwhile, the rain continued at several places in Uttarakhand on Tuesday even as nine pilgrims were killed and 13 others injured in landslides and due to boulders falling from mountains in the past 24 hours.

Incessant rain nearly crippled the state infrastructure with several routes, including national highways, were closed due to frequent landslides, affecting the Char Dham yatra currently underway.

Also read: Monsoon mayhem: Four killed in Uttarkashi landslide; tourists stuck in Himachal

The Met Department has forecast heavy rain on Tuesday and Wednesday and asked the state administration to take adequate precautions.

Ganga, Yamuna and all other rivers are in spate due to incessant rains, and bridges have also been washed away in some places.

A bridge on the Joshimath-Malari road connecting Niti Valley has washed away due to floods in the Jummagad rainy river, cutting off communication with about a dozen villages.

Also read: Himachal’s Kangra suffers losses worth Rs 75 crore amid incessant rains

In its latest forecast, the Meteorological Department has issued a red alert in view of rain for July 11 and 12, and an orange alert for July 13 to 15. In view of the rain alerts, several districts of Uttarakhand, including Pauri and Champawat, have declared school holidays.

Also read: Delhi records highest single-day rainfall for July since 1982: IMD

(With agency inputs)