IMD Weather Update: Rains can once again wreak havoc in many parts of the country. Heavy rains are expected at some places in Uttarakhand on August 13. Rains will continue in East-Central India and Northern Peninsular regions as well. The situation in the hill states is worsening due to monsoon activity.
Heavy rain in MP and Odisha from Aug 13
A new phase of heavy rainfall will begin in Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and coastal Andhra Pradesh between August 13 and 16. In the last 24 hours till 8:30 am on Sunday, many parts of West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, East Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya and Karnataka recorded 7-20 cm rainfall. Heavy rainfall also occurred in Punjab, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Gujarat region, Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal.
Devotee from Punjab dies in HP
A devotee from Punjab died and another was injured due to falling of stones from a mountain near Kanfara amid torrential rains in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday. The body of a devotee who went on Kinnaur Kailash Yatra was found near Parvati Kund, taking the death toll during this journey to four.
Artificial lake formed near Kumarhatti in HP, house evacuated
An artificial lake has been formed due to falling debris near Kumarhatti in Himachal, which can pose a big threat to the surrounding areas. As a precaution, a nearby house has been evacuated. The Meteorological Department has warned that the rain will continue in Himachal, Uttarakhand and other states for the next five to seven days.
Big stones falling in Kullu
359 roads, 145 power transformers and 520 drinking water schemes are affected due to landslides and debris in Himachal. Traffic is disrupted in parts of Shimla, Kullu and Chandigarh-Manali National Highway. Big stones are continuously falling from Kala Chau hill in Raila-2 Panchayat of Kullu district, while the movement of vehicles has been made one-way due to road collapse near Dayod.
Movement of devotees affected in J&K
In Jammu and Kashmir's Katra, there was torrential rain in Maa Vaishno Devi and Trikuta mountain area for five hours on Sunday morning, affecting the movement of devotees on the Yatra route. Due to heavy fog, helicopter service remained closed and most of the devotees had to travel on foot, horse or palanquin. This spell of rain is likely to intensify further in the coming days, which may increase the risk of floods, landslides and traffic obstructions in many states.
Heavy rain alert in Telangana
A heavy rain alert has been issued in Telangana till August 17. Strong winds of 30-40 kmph are also expected in some districts. Hyderabad and surrounding districts received heavy rainfall from Saturday night to Sunday.
Prakash Kumar Pandey