India News Highlights: As IMD forecasts some respite from the downpours across the country, most places are involved in relief/restoration efforts. However, IMD has issued a ‘red’ alert for Gujarat and ‘orange’ alerts for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Parts of Delhi and Kashmir were flooded Thursday after two rivers breached the danger mark following heavy rain in several northern areas. All surface links in Kashmir, including the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, were closed for traffic due to multiple landslides and washing away of road patches due to rains.
Flood impact: The Punjab govt has extended closure of schools, colleges till September 7 due to the floods, said education minister Harjot Singh Bains. The Punjab government declared all 23 districts flood-hit and said the deluge has claimed 30 lives and impacted over 3.5 lakh people so far. Dam reservoirs remain full, and rivers are flowing near danger marks. According to officials, Punjab received 74 per cent excess rain in August, the state’s highest in 25 years. In Jammu and Kashmir, rising water levels have shut down the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, officials said.
September forecast: The IMD said September is likely to see above-normal rainfall, and warned of landslides and flash floods in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. The monthly average rainfall in September is expected to be more than 109 per cent of the long-period average of 167.9 mm, it said.
Pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district remained suspended even 10 days after the cloudburst-induced landslide on one of its routes claimed 34 lives and left 20 injured.
Officials said that although the debris on the track has been cleared, the pilgrimage remains suspended as a precautionary measure.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has ordered the setting up of a three-member committee to probe the causes of the landslide.
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Thursday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought Rs 16,732 crore Central assistance to overcome damage caused by heavy rains and floods in the state.
Vikramarka, accompanied by state Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswar Rao and special representative of the Telangana government in New Delhi A P Jithender Reddy, told Shah that the state had earlier sought Rs 11,713 crore in assistance for damage caused by heavy rains in Khammam and surrounding districts.
Shah responded positively to the request and assured that a Central inter-ministerial team would soon be deputed to Telangana to assess the damages, according to an official statement.
The Chamba district administration has launched a major operation to safely evacuate pilgrims stranded along the Manimahesh Yatra route, and despite adverse weather conditions, 35 ailing and elderly devotees were airlifted to Chamba by a small helicopter that conducted seven sorties on Thursday, an official said.
The administration began transporting nearly 500 devotees from Bharmaur to Chamba by vehicles on Thursday.
Thousands of pilgrims are stranded in Chamba district, especially in the Bharmaur assembly constituency, which has been disconnected by roads after heavy rains triggered multiple landslides and flash floods along the Manimahesh Yatra route in the last week of August.
- PTI
The Monsoon Session of the Rajasthan Assembly began on a dramatic note on Thursday, with Congress MLAs, led by Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully, arriving on tractors demanding compensation for farmers and others affected by heavy rain.
They attempted to enter the Assembly premises on tractors, but were stopped at the gates by security personnel and police, who had barricaded the entrance. For nearly half an hour, the MLAs staged a protest outside before entering on foot, holding banners and raising slogans for about 15 minutes.
Rain lashed parts of the national capital on Thursday, with more showers expected as yellow and orange alerts remain in effect.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has advised people to stay cautious as light to moderate rain with thunderstorms is forecasted in the east, south, central, New Delhi, north, southwest, and west Delhi.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema slammed the BJP-led Centre on Thursday, asking why is it "hesitating" to help the flood-hit state, as he called on it to show the same humanitarian spirit towards the region as was shown in extending aid to the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Cheema questioned the Centre's priorities, asking why relief materials were swiftly dispatched to Afghanistan, while flood-affected Punjab is facing "delays" in receiving financial and humanitarian assistance.
In a statement issued here, the minister emphasised that Punjab, a state that has consistently contributed to India's food security and economic strength, deserves timely and adequate assistance in its hour of need.
"If humanitarian aid can be sent across borders, then why the hesitation in helping our own people?" he asked.
- PTI
(Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)
There have been 193 deaths in Rajasthan as the state receives 63 per cent more rainfall this year
(Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)
A day after heavy rainfall wreaked havoc across Zirakpur in Punjab’s Mohali district, with widespread waterlogging, collapsing infrastructure, and severe traffic snarls, frustrated residents said on Thursday that the downpour had exposed the town’s fragile drainage system and lack of preparedness.
One of the worst-hit areas was Maya Garden Phase 2 along VIP Road, where a retaining wall collapsed amid the relentless rains. The breach not only worsened flooding inside the society but also sparked alarm as stray animals and even snakes entered the premises. “It is a serious health and safety concern. With waterlogging everywhere, the situation is turning dangerous,” said a resident.
The water level in the Yamuna at Delhi's Old Railway Bridge remained steady at 207.46 metres between 11 am and noon Thursday, officials said.
They added that the level is expected to begin receding gradually, though floodwaters continue to inundate nearby areas and relief camps. - PTI
Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria submitted a detailed report on the flood situation in five districts of Punjab —Amritsar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran and Ferozepur — to Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
The Governor visited these five flood-affected districts from September 1 to 4 and apprised the Union Minister of the ground situation there, a communique by Raj Bhawan said. He informed about the extensive damage caused to life, property, crops and infrastructure due to the floods and also shared the details of relief and rehabilitation operations being carried out by the Punjab Government, District Administration, Army, NDRF and other agencies.
Union Minister Chouhan assured the State of all possible assistance from the Centre to expedite relief and rehabilitation operations.
Educational institutions in Kashmir remained closed for the second day today. "In view of adverse weather conditions and as a precautionary measure, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg ordered the closure of all educational institutions, including schools, colleges, universities and coaching centres across Kashmir on Thursday," an official spokesperson said.
The Jammu-Katra shuttle train service was suspended for the second day Thursday in the wake of floods and landslides.
Heavy rains triggered landslides blocking the portal of tunnel number 16 on the rail track between Ramnagar and Manwal in the Jammu-Udhampur section.
“Due to heavy rainfall and landslides, railways have decided to cancel the shuttle train service (between Jammu and Katra) today,” Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay said.
The shuttle services, with the induction of four trains between Katra and Jammu, had started on September 1, and were scheduled to run till September 15. -PTI
Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has reached Amritsar and met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria.
Chouhan will tour three flood-hit border districts today. He will be accompanied by Union minister of state Ravneet Bittu and state party chief Sunil Jakhar.
Due to the closure of the Sangrur Ara Gate to prevent the potential backflow of the Ghaggar, the Jhambo Choa has overflowed.
An alert has been issued for villages near Jhambo Choa. The villages of Kheri Nagaiyan, Sihal, Bras, Dhuhar, Dugal Kalan and Khurd, Haryao Khurd and Kalan, Selwala, and Khanewal are advised to remain cautious.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had a phone call with her Haryana counterpart, Nayab Singh Saini, over the Mungeshpur drain breach that flooded some areas in the national capital and called for an urgent repair, the government said on Wednesday.
A section of the Mungeshpur drain in Bahadurgarh (Jhajjar district) broke on Tuesday, with water entering villages and unauthorised colonies in Delhi located close to Haryana border.
After the instructions from Gupta, divisional commissioner Neeraj Semwal evacuated around 2,000 people from the flooded colonies, the statement, issued from Gupta's office, said.
The evacuated people have been housed in temporary shelters at Baba Haridas Temple and an MCD school in Jharoda.
For the first time in 15 years, the floodgates of Sukhna Lake were opened nine times in one monsoon season as the Chandigarh Administration lifted two of the three gates Wednesday after the water level rose above the danger mark of 1,163 feet following heavy rain in the catchment area.
The gates were opened only four times in 2023, six times in 2022, and five times in 2021. A major flooding incident was reported in August 2020 when the opening of two gates inundated low-lying areas of Zirakpur. Before September 2018, the gates had not been operated for a decade.
Shah Rukh Khan posted on X, "My heart goes out to those in Punjab impacted by these devastating floods. Sending prayers and strength… The spirit of Punjab shall never break… may God bless them all."
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan spoke to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Wednesday to enquire about the flood situation, and said he will visit the affected areas Thursday.
Chouhan spoke to the Punjab leaders over the phone in the morning.
In a post on X, Chouhan said, “Today, I discussed the flood situation arising due to heavy rainfall in Punjab with the Honorable Governor of Punjab, Chief Minister, and Agriculture Minister, and received detailed information.”
“I will reach Punjab tomorrow morning and meet my brothers and sisters in the flood-affected areas. In this hour of crisis, the Central Government stands firmly with the brothers and sisters of Punjab and will provide all possible assistance,” Chouhan said.
Shuttle services of four trains that were introduced to help locals and stranded passengers travel between Jammu and Katra - the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine - was suspended due to heavy rain and flooding on Wednesday.
The scheduled train services from New Delhi to Katra have also been short-terminated.
The region had faced severe disruption of both rail and road traffic due to incessant rainfall since August 26, with many pilgrims getting stranded.
- PTI
Yamuna swells as red alert sounded in parts of Delhi; incessant rains in NCR
Locals crossing flooded area after River Yamuna water level increases at Garhi Mendu Village near Signature Bridge, in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Three people who were trapped inside an old house that collapsed due to heavy rains in Jammu and Kashmir were rescued Wednesday, officials said. The incident took place in Kali Jhani Mohalla of Pacca Danga area.
Police and locals launched a rescue operation and evacuated those trapped. -PTI
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal will visit flood-affected in Punjab tomorrow with Punjab. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will also be with him to review relief and rescue operations.
Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak is visiting waterlogged villages of Ferozepur now.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday chaired a meeting this morning to assess the situation in the area, the CM's office said in a post on X.
Abdullah directed the administration to intensify ground response, ensure clearance of waterlogged areas, safeguard essential services, carry out timely evacuations in critical zones, and provide immediate relief.
As devastating floods sweep through Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, environmental activist Guman Singh talks about how years of unchecked construction, reckless infrastructure expansion, and neglect of ecological limits have left the Himalayan region dangerously vulnerable in an episode of our Express Cafe Podcast.
Drawing a direct link between today’s disasters and long-ignored warnings, Guman Singh urges governments, policymakers, and local communities to abandon short-sighted “development” models in favor of sustainable, climate-resilient practices.
Watch the entire episode here.
As devastating floods sweep through Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, environmental activist Guman Singh talks about how years of unchecked construction, reckless infrastructure expansion, and neglect of ecological limits have left the Himalayan region dangerously vulnerable in an episode of our Express Cafe Podcast.
Drawing a direct link between today’s disasters and long-ignored warnings, Guman Singh urges governments, policymakers, and local communities to abandon short-sighted “development” models in favor of sustainable, climate-resilient practices.
Watch the entire episode here.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan spoke to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Wednesday to enquire about the flood situation, and said he will visit the affected areas Thursday.
Chouhan spoke to the Punjab leaders over the phone in the morning.
In a post on X, Chouhan said, “Today, I discussed the flood situation arising due to heavy rainfall in Punjab with the Honorable Governor of Punjab, Chief Minister, and Agriculture Minister, and received detailed information.”
According to officials of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the police, rescuers are trying to evacuate people stranded in Akhnoor’s Garkhal, Pargwal and Khiur villages as Chenab continued to flow at 43.5 feet — 1.5 ft above the evacuation level. About 40 people are reportedly stranded in Garkhal.
However, officials said water in Chenab and Tawi rivers is decreasing. Tawi is currently flowing at 13 ft – 4 ft less than the danger mark.
During heavy rainfall at Panchkula, a tree fell on a car that had six school children in it, outside a private school in Sector-4, Panchkula. Officials say four of them are injured.
Heavy rain continued to batter Odisha for the third consecutive day Wednesday. The IMD said the low-pressure area, which has triggered the rain, is likely to move west-northwestwards across the state during the next 24 hours.
With the low-pressure area intensifying into a 'well-marked' system, the IMD said more rainfall is likely in the state.
Bhubaneswar and Bolangir are among the most affected districts, officials said.
Four people were killed and three others went missing after a portion of a small dam collapsed and triggered a flash flood in Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur district Wednesday, officials said.
The breach in the Luti reservoir, located in Dhaneshpur village, occurred late Tuesday night after heavy rainfall in the region, they said. -PTI
Delhi Airport on Wednesday issued a passenger advisory after inclement weather in Leh disrupted flight operations to the region.
"Due to bad weather conditions in Leh, flight operations to the destination have been affected. We are working closely with all the stakeholders to support passengers and minimise inconvenience," Delhi Airport said in a post on X.
Officials said that efforts were underway to ensure that flights resume safely once weather conditions improved.
All educational institutions in Punjab will be closed till September 7, Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains posted on X.
"In accordance with the directives of the Honorable Chief Minister of Punjab, S. Bhagwant Singh Mann Ji, keeping in view the flood situation in Punjab, holidays have been declared in all government/aided/recognized/private schools/colleges/universities and polytechnic colleges in the state until September 7, 2025," he posted.
The Yamuna River Monday received a peak discharge of 3.29 lakh cusecs from the Hathni Kund barrage in Yamunanagar. This was the highest flow of the season and is expected to reach Delhi and nearby areas today.
By Tuesday evening, the discharge had reduced to 1.67 lakh cusecs, said R S Mittal, superintending engineer, Haryana Irrigation Department.
A total 1,155 roads falling under State Highway, along with seven National Highways in Himachal Pradesh were blocked due to landslides, stone shooting during incessant rains.
Blocked National Highways in Himachal Pradesh include:
NH-03 (Manali – Leh Highway) near Manali; NH-05 (Old NH-22 (Chandigarh-Shimla); NH-707 (Paonta Sahib – Shillai – Hatkoti – Rohru); NH-21 (Chandigarh – Manali); NH-205 ( Kiratpur– Swarghat – Bilaspur – Sundernagar – Mandi); NH-505 (Gramphu – Kunzum Pass – Kaza – Sumdo) and NH-305 (Aut – Banjar – Jibhi – Jalori Pass – Sainj – Anni).
Educational institutes were closed in many Himachal districts including Shimla, Solan, Mandi.
The Northern Railway has announced the cancellation of 68 incoming and outgoing trains from Jammu and Katra stations till September 30, while 24 trains are scheduled to resume, officials said.
Rail traffic has remained suspended in the Jammu railway division for the past eight days due to misalignment and breaches at multiple locations in the Pathankot-Jammu section following the recent heavy rains and flash floods. -PTI
Several people were evacuated in overnight operations from Delhi's Jharoda Kalan area after a 50-foot embankment of the Mangeshpur drain breached, inundating many low-lying areas, police said.
The breach occurred Tuesday evening, leading to nearly five feet of water entering Geetanjali Enclave and adjoining pockets of Jharoda Kalan village near Baba Haridass Nagar in Delhi's Dwarka, they said. -PTI
A woman and her daughter were killed in a house collapse, while 40 people were trapped in a flooded village as torrential rains pounded Jammu region for the second day on Wednesday, officials said.
The heavy rains led to increase in the water level in rivers, streams and rivulets which are flowing close or above danger mark, while major roads, including all-weather Srinagar-Jammu national highway, remained closed for the second day owing to multiple landslides and landslips between Udhampur and Banihal, officials said. -PTI
Punjab cabinet minister Harjot Bains has issued a warning for villages near Sutlej, and asked residents to move to safer places.
He says due to continuous rains this morning, level of Bhakra Dam has reached 1678 feet, two feet less than danger mark, adding that officials may release 5000 cusecs from the dam in a controlled manner today.
The Patiala District Administration has issued a high alert for several villages in the Rajpura Sub-Division due to heavy rainfall in the catchment area of Ghaggar River.
Residents of Sanjarpur, Untsar, Darba, Salempur, Shamshpur, Jandmagoli, Harpalan, Rampur, Saunta, Mariyan, Kapuri, Kamalpur, Sarala Kalan, Sarala Khurd, Kami Khurd, Chamarru, Lachhru Khurd, Mahidudan, Manjauli, Maru, Jambomajra, Jameetgarh, Mehmadpur, along with nearby areas, have been advised to stay alert and avoid going near the Ghaggar River, according to an advisory issued by SDM Rajpura, Avikesh Gupta,
For updates, residents may contact the Flood Control Room in Rajpura at 01762-224132.
For urgent information, people should also inform the Patiala District Administration at the Control Room number 0175-2350550.
IMD has issued a ‘red alert’ for Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha and parts of Punjab. Schools and colleges across Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Noida, as well as other rain-hit regions, remain closed.
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