Incessant rainfall triggers landslides in Uttarakhand, Himachal; Char Dham yatra suspended

The popular pilgrimage circuit in the state, Char Dham Yatra has been suspended by the authorities due to the heavy downpour. Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said all devotees are urged not to start for the Char Dham Yatra beyond Rishikesh in view of the weather department’s prediction of heavy rains in Garhwal division on July 7-8, as reported by PTI.

Significant routes, including the national highway to Badrinath, have been blocked by landslides, causing further disruption in the hill state. On Saturday, two pilgrims from Hyderabad were killed after boulders from the hillside hit them when they were returning from Badrinath on their motorcycle in the wake of a landslide near Chatwapeepal area of Karnaprayag in Chamoli district.

The rivers in the state have swelled, with Alaknanda nearing the danger mark at Vishnu Prayag near Joshimath. Lokjeet, Superintendent of Police (Rural), Dehradun, said, “The rise in the water level was earlier predicted. We are in constant contact with the administration and concerned departments. The police are also taking preventive actions. People living near the river bank have been displaced. Efforts are being made to stop people from visiting the river banks”, said  news agency ANI reported.

Himachal Pradesh

The mountain state is dented with recurring landslides due to the torrential rains rendering nearly 151 roads closed including 111 in Mandi, 13 in Sirmaur, nine in Shimla, eight each in Chamba and Kullu, and one in Kangra district, are closed for traffic. A recent landslide in Shimla has shut National Highway 707 with debris and rocks disrupting the connectivity between Hatkoti and Paonta Sahib. In another incident, a bus carrying 24 passengers was hit by a boulder at Renukaji road in Sirmaur injuring a woman and the driver.

The Shimla weather office has issued a ‘yellow alert’ for thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places till July 12. A flash flood risk (FFR) alert has also been issued for two districts — Shimla and Sirmaur — for the next 24 hours by the MeT office.

According to the state emergency operation centre, at least 334 transformers were disrupted and 55 water supply schemes affected in the last 24 hours. Dharamshala in Kangra recorded the highest rainfall of 214.6 mm, followed by Palampur 212.4 mm, Jogindernagar 169 mm, Kangra city 157.6 mm, Baijnath 142 mm, Jot 95.2 mm, Nagrota Suriyan 90.2 mm, Sujanpur Tira 72 mm, Dhaulakuan 70 mm, Ghamroor 68.2 mm, Nadaun 63 mm and Berthin 58.8 mm.

Maharashtra 

IMD has issued an ‘orange alert’ for the Konkan area with predictions of moderate to heavy rainfall in Central Maharashtra. The western state has been receiving strong surface winds and heavy showers with Mumbai, Thane and Palghar bearing grave impact. However, the Marathwada region is yet to receive the adequate showers.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 13 teams with 32 to 35 personnel each in various parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Satara, Sangli, and Kolhapur. An additional five teams are stationed at the NDRF head office in Pune, reported PTI.

In a recent incident, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) saved 49 people stranded at a water-logged resort in Thane district on Sunday. The resort, located in the Shahpur area, was deluged due to heavy rainfall.

In a separate incident, the NDRF and local firefighters teamed up to rescue 16 villagers who were stranded in Palghar district. The villagers from Chalispada of Saiwan in Vasai were working on their farms when the area was flooded due to rising water levels in the nearby Tansa Lake. The NDRF and firefighters were mobilized in the afternoon, and after a swift operation, all 16 stranded villagers were safely brought to higher ground.

The average water stock in all the seven lakes that supply water to Mumbai and Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) have recorded a rise by nearly 4 per cent in the past 24 hours. This is the highest single day jump in the water stock of the lake levels this season.

Assam

The flooding condition in the northeastern state remains grim with major rivers, including Brahmaputra river, flowing above the danger mark and nearly 24 lakh people in 107 revenue circles and 3,535 villages in 29 districts of the state remain affected by floods, as per official information. The regional MeT office has issued a ‘watch’ notification predicting heavy rain at isolated places over Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Cachar and Karimganj.

Amid the scarcity of essential stock, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the flood affected Kamrup district to direct authorities for relief camp administration.

Taking to X,  the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) posted: “Today, HCM Dr @himantabiswa visited the relief camp at Amrit Chandra Thakuria Commerce College in Palashbari, where 28 flood-affected individuals are being sheltered,”

In a recent tragedy, two people, including a child, were killed and another was injured in a landslide in Dispur area of Kamrup Metropolitan district.

Guwahati reported massive waterlogging, with the Brahmaputra river water level flowing at danger level. An eight-year old boy from the Jyoti Nagar area has been identified by his parents at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) after he reportedly fell into a stormwater drain, PTI reported.

Rivers that are flowing above danger mark include Brahmaputra at Neamatighat (Jorhat), Tezpur (Sonitpur) and Dhubri (Dhubri), Burhidihing at Chenimari (Dibrugarh), Dikhou at Sivasagar, Disang at Nanglamuraghat (Sivasagar); Dhansiri at Numaligarh (Golaghat), Kopili at Dharamtul (Nagaon), Kushiyara at Karimganj, and Barak river at (B P Ghat) Cachar.

Uttar Pradesh

Heavy rainfalls in the northern state have the water levels of several rivers in areas like Kushinagar, Balrampur and Shravasti districts rising and flooding many villages. According to a report from the Relief Commissioner’s Office, 13 villages in the Khadda tehsil are flood-affected after the water level of the Gandak River in Kushinagar crossed the danger mark, trapping 66 people in the floodwaters. 62 of the trapped have been rescued and an operation was underway to bring the remaining four to safety. PTI reported.

An official report stated, the Shravasti district was affected with water level rise in Rapti River  affecting 18 villages  and fields leading to a rescue operation of  12 women working in a field and their children. The UP government stated that 400 villagers stranded in 18 villages of Shravasti were rescued while 20 cattle trapped in the Kushinagar floods were also rescued.

A team of the National Disaster Response Force and two of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) are deployed. While 32 medical teams have been informed, 19 flood posts have been set up.  Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the District Magistrates — Shravasti and Kushinagar — to supervise the damaged crops and report the status within 24 hours.