Rains, landslides hit north India; Himachal, Uttarakhand bear brunt
Heavy rains lashed several parts of northern India, claiming the lives of 22 people in Himachal Pradesh and leaving eight missing after a cloudburst in Uttarakhand. A flood alert was sounded in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab as Yamuna and other rivers ran in spate at several places.
Authorities announced that all educational institutions will remain closed on Monday (August 19) at Shimla, Kullu and Uttarkashi.
Himachal Pradesh hit by landslides, overflowing rivers; 22 killed
At least 22 people were killed and 12 others injured in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, an official said.
He also said that the total loss to the state property amounted to ₹490 crore. People have been requested to stay away from rivers, rivulets and streams in the state to avoid any untoward incident.
Landslides hit a spot near the RTO office here, leaving three people dead. Train services between Shimla and Kalka too were disrupted after multiple landslides blocked the rail route.
Gates of the Pandoh and the Nathpa Jhakri dams in Himachal Pradesh are being opened as the water level in Beas and Sutlej rivers is very high on Saturday, an official said. People have been requested to stay away from rivers, rivulets and streams in the state to avoid any untoward incident, the official said.
The Nathpa Jhakri hydroelectric station is being shut down due to increasing silt content in the Sutlej river, he said. A number of roads in Shimla district have also been closed due to damage and blockage caused by landslides and uprooted trees as a result of heavy rains, he said. The Mandi-Joginder Naga national highway and the Mandi-Rewalsar road are closed at Maigal due to landslides, he added.
A labourer was killed while six others were injured when the wall of a house collapsed in Shimla following heavy rains early Sunday, police said. The deceased has been identified as Shah Alam, who hailed from Bihars Kishanganj district, they added.
18 killed in Uttarakhand after Tons river washes away 20 houses
As many as 18 people are missing after 20 houses were washed in floods triggered by overflowing of Tons river in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district on Sunday (August 18).
Pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar trip had to face difficulties as landslips and heavy rains disrupted their trek, and had to be helped by the SDRF. A woman was also washed away in Dehradun district when her car fell into a seasonal river, officials said.
Kerala: More bodies found in Kavalappara landslip site
In southern India, the death toll in flood-ravaged Kerala climbed to 116 with the retrieval of more bodies. Ground Penetrating Radars were put into use to locate bodies at Kavalappara in Malappuram and Puthumala in Wayanad, where massive landslides had wiped out two villages.
Also read: Faceless heroes of Kavalappara brave warnings, floods to restore normalcy
Punjab bears the brunt of rivers in spate
Three members of a family were killed when the roof of their house collapsed following heavy rains in Aol village near Khanna town, police said on Sunday. Surjit Singh (35), his wife Baljinder Kaur (32) and their son Gurpreet Singh (9) were killed in the incident on Saturday. However, their 10-year-old daughter escaped unhurt.
Eleven people, including four women, have been rescued after they got stuck when the overflowing water of Beas river flooded their village in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district.
#WATCH Punjab: Army team rescues goats from the roof of a submerged house in flood-affected village Jalla Majra in Nawanshahr pic.twitter.com/y28xQPUXDf
— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2019
Delhi govt sounds alert
As the water level in the Yamuna river neared warning level, the Delhi government sounded a flood alert for the city and asked people in the low-lying areas to vacate their place. An official said that river Yamuna’s water level is expected to rise further in next 24 hours after 8.14 lakh cusecs of water was released from the Hathini Kund barrage in Harayana at 5 pm.
West Bengal floods cripple life in districts, Kolkata
Weather in large parts of south Bengal, including Kolkata, improved on Sunday after two days of torrential rain that led to water-logging in many areas and snapped road links at several places. At the same time, the Met department predicted heavy to very heavy rain in the western parts of the state. Heavy to very heavy rain has been forecast in the districts of Bankura, Purulia, West Midnapore and Jhargram bordering Jharkhand.
49 dead in Rajasthan
An official said 49 people have died in rain-related incidents in the state since June 15 and 500 people have been evacuated from the rain-affected areas.
