Weather Update: Heavy rains wreaking havoc across country; 7 die in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand; 13 districts of UP in grip of floods, check latest updates and IMD predictions
Rain is wreaking havoc across the country. Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are especially affected. Life in these states has been badly affected due to rain and floods.
The situation has become grim due to continuous heavy rains in the hilly states of the country, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In the last 24 hours, a total of 7 people have lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand while many have been injured.
A fresh spell of torrential rain continues to lash parts of the country as the monsoon intensifies. Several areas across Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand witnessed heavy downpours on Monday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more intense rainfall over the next three days across North and Northeast India.
3 die in Mandi
Three people died after a car fell into a ditch in Mandi, Himachal, while a woman died after the roof of a house collapsed in Chamba. More than 100 people have died in the state so far.
Landslides are occurring and rivers are in spate in Uttarakhand. One person was swept away in the Bhakra river. 25 meters part of the Yamunotri highway collapsed. Kedarnath Yatra was also stopped for six hours, in which about 4,000 devotees were stranded in Sonprayag.
13 districts of UP in the grip of floods, Ganga in spate
The situation is also worrying in Uttar Pradesh. The water level of Ganga and other rivers is rising rapidly. 13 districts including Prayagraj, Varanasi, Kanpur are affected by floods. Many ghats including Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi have submerged and water has flooded the surrounding areas. NDRF and other agencies are engaged in relief work. The Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rains for the next three days.
Railway services also affected, trains cancelled
The track on Kotdwar-Najibabad railway line in Uttarakhand is flooded. Three passenger trains had to be cancelled due to waterlogging ranging from eight inches to one feet. Shri Siddhabali Jan Shatabdi Express was also stopped, due to which trains going towards Delhi were affected.
Heavy rains also hit Meghalaya, Bengal and Andhra
A government officer was swept away in the Ganol river in West Garo Hills district of the northeastern state of Meghalaya. He was on a picnic with his family and the accident happened while crossing the river. Heavy rains are expected in districts like Darjeeling, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri of West Bengal till August 10. Heavy rainfall may also occur in South Bengal till August 7. A woman working in the field died due to lightning in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.
Alert in Rajasthan too, heavy rain warning
Heavy rains are expected in some districts of northeastern Rajasthan for the next two to three days. 51 mm of rain has been recorded in Bayana of Bharatpur. The Meteorological Department has also predicted light to moderate rains in the areas of eastern Rajasthan.