India Weather, Rain Highlights: Red alert in Bihar, Bengal, Meghalaya; Delhi to get light to moderate rains

#WATCH | Dehradun: "I chaired a meeting with all district magistrates and officials from the administration...I have instructed everyone to help people and to make sure those who're stranded because of flood are getting food and other needy items, to clear roads quickly...":… pic.twitter.com/14B4JFlWhM

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 12, 2023

Himachal Pradesh | Major traffic congestion on the Kullu-Manali highway at Raison after the road opens for vehicular movement pic.twitter.com/iwVyBxKBT4

— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2023

Himachal Pradesh | Operation underway to clear the road leading to Chandertaal to rescue the stranded tourists in Lahaul-Spiti district. pic.twitter.com/gtmMEQCQR2

— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2023

As the water level of the Yamuna in Delhi breached the all-time record of 207.49 metres set 45 years ago, experts attributed the situation to the encroachment of floodplains, extreme rainfall in a short duration, and the accumulation of silt, which elevated the riverbed.

At 1 pm, the river swelled to 207.55 metres, surpassing the previous record set in 1978, and causing further inundation of areas near the floodplains.

Thousands of people have been shifted to safer areas as water gushed into their homes and markets near the river.

In view of the grave situation, the Delhi Police imposed prohibitory measures under CrPC section 144 in flood-prone areas of the city, preventing unlawful assembly of four or more people and public movement in groups.

A senior official at the Central Water Commission (CWC) said, "We noticed that the water released from the Hathnikund Barrage took less time to reach Delhi compared to previous years. The main reason could be encroachment and siltation. Earlier, the water would have had more space to flow. Now, it passes through a constricted cross-section." The water from the barrage at Yamunanagar in Haryana, around 180 kilometres from the national capital, takes around two to three days to reach Delhi.

Manu Bhatnagar, Principal Director of the Natural Heritage Division at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), identified extreme rainfall in a short duration as the primary reason for the raging Yamuna in Delhi. (PTI)

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, says "There has been massive destruction in the state. Our priority is to rescue people at the earliest. We have rescued around 50,000 tourists, but 20,000 are still stranded at several places. We have temporarily restored the… pic.twitter.com/1SMAIy66ep

— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2023

An additional 16,000 cusecs of water will be released from Bhakra Dam into the Sutlej River on Thursday as the water level in the dam has increased following incessant rains in the last few days in Himachal Pradesh.

Deputy Commissioner, Una, Raghav Sharma on Wednesday said as per the information received from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) Nangal authorities, additional 16,000 cusecs water will be released from 10 am on July 13.

At present, 19,000 cusecs of water is being released from Bhakra Dam and with additional 16,000 cusecs, the total discharge will be around 35,000 cusecs.

Sharma said 30,000 cusecs of water will be released from the Sutlej through Nakkian, Lohand and Ropar thermal plants.

Owing to rains, the water of local pits falls in Bhakra and Nangal Dam due to which the downstream of Nangal Dam can increase by about 5,000 cusecs of water for some period, he cautioned. (PTI)

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday conducted an aerial survey of areas affected by three days of incessant downpours and announced Rs 4 lakh ex gratia to the kin of those who died in rain-related incidents.

Financial assistance will also be provided to the poor and others whose houses have been affected by the rains, he said.

After reaching Ambala, where Khattar was accompanied by state Home Minister Anil Vij, the chief minister held a meeting with the district administration officials.

A total of 10 rain-related deaths has been reported from the affected districts. Food packets, water tankers, and fodder for animals were being dispatched to affected areas while people have been moved to safety, Khattar said.

With the Markanda, Tangri and Ghaggar rivers overflowing, Ambala was the worst affected, he said, adding Yamunanagar, Kaithal, Panipat, and Panchkula districts have also been affected by recent incessant rains. (PTI)

Army and NDRF teams evacuated over 200 people from flood-affected Mand areas in Sultanpur Lodhi city of Punjab on Wednesday, officials said.

Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Karnail Singh said the district administration shifted the rescued 223 people to relief camps, where they are being provided with ration, drinking water and other items of need. 

Singh said the personnel from the Army and the police also evacuated 30 more people from different areas to safe places.

He said the administration provided dry as well as green fodder to people for their livestock. A team of veterinary doctors is also vaccinating domesticated animals, he added. (PTI)

As the weather improved in parts of north India, which was pummelled by heavy rains for days, authorities on Wednesday worked on a war footing to rescue stranded tourists, restore vehicular traffic on arterial roads and prevent floodwaters from entering new areas.

In Punjab and Haryana, at least 15 people have died in rain-related incidents, according to government data.

As many as 2,000 tourists stranded in Himachal Pradesh's Kasol were evacuated and more than 300 tourist vehicles stuck in Lahaul following landslides and flash floods left for their respective destinations, the state government said.

In Delhi, the Yamuna swelled to 207.55 metres on Wednesday, breaching its all-time high of 207.49 metres recorded in 1978, according to government agencies. (PTI)

"Ambala is the worst affected district by flood...40 villages are flooded heavily...we're doing all the works, wherever we needed help, we have called NDRF and Army to those places ...we're doing everything we can," Haryana CM ML Khattar after conducting aerial survey in the state. 

According to government data, the death toll due to rain-related incidents in Punjab and Haryana is 18. Seven of the deaths took place in Haryana.

#WATCH | "Ambala is the worst affected district by flood...40 villages are flooded heavily...we're doing all the works, wherever we needed help, we have called NDRF and Army to those places ...we're doing everything we can": Haryana CM ML Khattar after conducting aerial survey https://t.co/A1wvQAJfk7 pic.twitter.com/HVzAbmLNyN

— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2023

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9411112985, 01352717380, 01352712685 ???? ???????? ????????? ????- 9411112780 ?? ?? ?????…

— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) July 12, 2023

#WATCH | Uttarakhand: A hill collapses in Chamoli, due to torrential rain pic.twitter.com/9bK5NRyHF0

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 12, 2023

As many as 2,000 tourists stranded in Kasol area of Kullu district owing to incessant rainfall have been evacuated safely, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday.

He also said that over 300 tourist vehicles stuck in Lahaul have left for their respective destinations.

The Kullu–Manali road was opened Tuesday evening and about 2,200 vehicles crossed Kullu. There was no mobile signal in several areas in Manali and its suburbs for the past two days and the tourists were unable to contact their families, officials said. 

A large number of tourists were struck in various parts of Kullu and Lahaul following landslides and flash floods leading to blocking of roads. They were being lodged in hotels, rest houses, home stays and other holiday destinations.

Several hotels and tourism units offered free stay and food to the stranded tourists, and shared the addresses and contact numbers of their hotels on social networking sites. (PTI)

#WATCH | Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij's residence in Ambala flooded following incessant rainfall in the state. pic.twitter.com/N815lda0Ex

— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2023

#WATCH | Rescue operation underway to rescue stranded tourists in Kasol, Himachal Pradesh

(Source: Himachal Pradesh police) pic.twitter.com/ZuUOvQTKgk

— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2023

Relief measures are going on a war footing in Punjab and Haryana on Wednesday as several parts of the states remained flooded following incessant rains in the past three days.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will visit the worst-hit Ambala district on Wednesday to take stock of the situation, officials said. According to government data, the death toll due to rain-related incidents in the two states is 15 which include seven deaths in Haryana. The heavy rainfall has left behind a trail of destruction with properties worth crores obliterated and farmlands flooded.

In Punjab, nearly 10,000 people have so far been evacuated in Patiala, Rupnagar, Moga, Ludhiana, Mohali, SBS Nagar and Fatehgarh Sahib districts, they said.

The weather remained clear at most places for the second day in the region on Wednesday after three days of incessant rains. (PTI)

As many as 2,000 tourists stranded in Kasol area of Kullu district owing to incessant rainfall have been evacuated safely, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said Wednesday.

Over 2000 stranded individuals in Kasol have been successfully evacuated as of now. Our teams are working tirelessly to clear the Dunkhara landslide on the Kasol-Bhuntar road. District administration is on-site coordinating relief efforts. 2200+ vehicles have safely passed…

— Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 12, 2023

The Kullu–Manali road was opened Tuesday evening and about 2,200 vehicles crossed Kullu. There was no mobile signal in several areas in Manali and its suburbs for the past two days and the tourists were unable to contact their families, officials said. (PTI)

Keeping in view of the prevailing situation, the Ludhiana district administration completed water works in Gaib Di Puli on the intervening night of Wednesday, thus preventing the accumulation of water in the residential colonies in Khanna.

A team led by Sub Divisional Magistrate Samrala Kuldeep Singh Bawa, who also holds additional charge of the Khanna sub-division, worked for over six hours, using manpower and machinery to ensure the clearing of the bottlenecks to ensure the smooth flow of water in the traditional and old bodies. (Read more)

An orange alert, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, has been issued for tomorrow in Bihar, Assam and Meghalaya as well.

The IMD has issued a red alert, warning of extremely heavy rainfall, in Bihar, Meghalaya, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim for today. 

Tuesday came as a big relief for Chandigarh and the Eastern Malwa region of Punjab, which recorded no rain after being pummeled by incessant downpours for three days. The heavy rain led to an increased inflow of water in the rivers and the dam reservoirs.

The water level in Pong Dam went up by 26 feet in three days — from 1,337 feet on Saturday to 1363 feet on Tuesday. As the rains stopped the inflow reduced to 80,613 cusecs Tuesday evening as against 2.24 lakh cusecs in the morning. The outflow from the dam was 18,408 cusecs. (Read more)

Northern India is currently in the midst of an extremely wet phase of the monsoon. July rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh is substantially higher than normal. Heavy rain has resulted in large-scale destruction and loss of lives, particularly in the hilly areas.

The monsoon season this year was not expected to be very wet. The start certainly wasn’t that great, and notwithstanding the reassuring predictions of a normal monsoon by India Meteorological Department, rains were expected to be suppressed by a developing El Nino. (Read more)

Parts of Delhi may witness light to moderate downpour Wednesday and intermittent rains are predicted over the next four to five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, on Wednesday recorded a minimum temperature of 26.6 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 34 degrees Celsius.

Delhi witnessed its highest rainfall (153 mm) in a single day in July since 1982 in the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday due to an interaction of a western disturbance, monsoonal winds and cyclonic circulation over northwest India. The city received an additional 107 mm of rain in the subsequent 24 hours. (PTI)

Rescue operations were undertaken by the Army personnel and rescue teams in the flood-affected areas of Patiala.

Express photo by Harmeet Sodhi

Three people died in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh, with downpour continuing in most parts of the state, officials said. According to the meteorological department, rainfall will continue in the state till July 15. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at many places over the western parts of the state, it added. The highest rainfall received in the last 24 hours is 21 cm, recorded at Behat in Saharanpur district. (PTI)

Rain continues in several places in Uttarakhand even as five pilgrims were killed and eight others injured in landslides and due to boulders falling from mountains in the past 24 hours. Several routes, including national highways, have been closed affecting the 'Char Dham Yatra' that is currently underway. The Met Department has forecast heavy rain on Tuesday and Wednesday and asked the state administration to take adequate precautions. (PTI)

Reduction in rainfall over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana & Chandigarh from today, the 11th July 2023.#weatherupdate #weatheralert #monsoon2023 #monsoonseason @moesgoi @DDNewslive @airnewsalerts @ndmaindia pic.twitter.com/6KUQLfBU6g

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) July 11, 2023

Himachal Pradesh authorities took stock of the havoc caused by the recent rains, saying 31 people have been killed, nearly 1,300 roads closed due to landslides and floods and 40 major bridges damaged. In Kullu's Sainj area alone, around 40 shops and 30 houses were washed away, according to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who conducted an aerial survey of the Kasol, Manikaran, Kheer Ganga and Pulga areas. (PTI)

Delhi L-G VK Saxena, following his visits to Yamuna River and waterlogging-prone sites including Pragati Maidan Tunnel, Minto Bridge and Zakhira Underpass this morning, chaired a meeting with senior officials of the Public Works Department, New Delhi Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Jal Board, Irrigation & Flood Control and the Railways, to review the situation and devise workable solutions to overcome severe waterlogging.

Saxena held another meeting with Chairman of ITPO and the Chief Secretary to review the flooding of Pragati Maidan Tunnel and issued instructions to rectify the engineering faults that led to waterlogging on priority basis. The LG will visit the Pragati Maidan Tunnel site tomorrow.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Chief Sukhbir Badal visited flooded areas of Punjab - Banga, Balachaur and Anandpur Sahib - and demanded that the AAP-led Punjab government announce relief packages for all people severely affected by the floods. Badal, who visited the affected areas on a tractor, asked party workers to redouble their efforts in assisting those in need of food and medical aid.

Badal said while the SAD workers were doing their bit to supply fodder and food packets to affected villages, and that the government should take urgent steps to provide fodder in all affected villages. (PTI)

Uttarakhad Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that the State Disaster Response Force(SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Public Works Department (PWD) and the district administrations have been put on a high alert so that timely relief can be provided. (PTI)

VIDEO | "SDRF, NDRF, ITBP, PWD and district administrations have been told to stay on high alert and keep a watch on the situation so that timely relief can be provided. We have appealed to the pilgrims that they should first check the weather advisories and then proceed with… pic.twitter.com/8QdDdF51WO

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 11, 2023

Bhakra Beas Management Board Secretary Satish Singla has said that 'there has been unprecedented rainfall in Punjab', which has led to a flood-like situation. He also said that the Bhakra reservoir has reached 1625 feet, which is 'near to the highest level' but is still 65 feet below danger level. He also said that there was 'no need to panic as of now'. (PTI)

VIDEO | 'There has been unprecedented rainfall in Punjab leading to a flood-like situation and the water level in Bhakra reservoir has reached up to 1625 feet which is near to the highest level but still 65 feet below than the maximum level and danger level. The rainfall has been… pic.twitter.com/zPCNCfvgN9

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 11, 2023

A road caved in near Pragati Maidan in Delhi, after heavy rainfall in the national capital.

Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan sought the intervention of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to ensure the safety of 47 students from Kerala who are stranded in Manali district due to the flash floods and torrential rains.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Satheesan said the Keralite students, including 45 medical students from Government Medical Colleges in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts, have been stranded in the north Indian state since the rains wreaked havoc . (PTI)

The Delhi Traffic Police, in a tweet, has said that Iron bridge pusta road Gandhi Nagar has been closed for public/ traffic until further orders due to the 'dangerous level of water in Yamuna river'. 

Traffic Alert
Iron bridge pusta road Gandhi Nagar is closed for Public/Traffic till further orders due to dangerous level of water in Yamuna river. Commuters are advised to plan their journey accordingly. pic.twitter.com/JOBFaUNPAw

— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) July 11, 2023

Revenue and Disaster Management Principal Secretary Onkar Chand Sharma said that since the onset of the south-west monsoon, 72 persons had been reported dead while eight to ten were 'missing follwing heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh'. He also said that over 761 crores worth of properties had been damaged. 

#WATCH | Shimla: Onkar Chand Sharma, Revenue & Disaster Management principal secretary on flood situation in Himachal Pradesh, says, 'Since the onset of monsoon on June 24 till yesterday, We have around 72 deaths reported and 8-10 are missing following heavy rain in Himachal… pic.twitter.com/cxfh3dYiV9

— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2023

Due to heavy rains leading to waterlogging in Punjab and Haryana, key highways like the  Ambala-Ludhiana national highway, were temporarily closed for traffic. Other key highways -- Ambala-Chandigarh and Ambala-Hisar -- have also been temporarily closed for vehicular traffic since Monday evening. Officials said water, coming through agricultural fields, was flowing on the main carriageway. Normal vehicular movement was also adversely affected on some other highways, including state highways, in many districts of the twin states. (PTI)

Express photo by Jasbir Singh Malhi

The IMD has issued a red alert for Uttarakhand and adjoining western Uttar Pradesh, warning that the parts may get heavy to very heavy rainfall (more than 204.4mm) today. 

#RedAlert: Prepare for Heavy to Very heavy with Extremely heavy rainfall (more than 204.4 mm) on 11th July#Uttrakhand #WeatherUpdate #UttarPradesh #monsoon2023 #Monsoon2023 @moesgoi @DDNewslive @airnewsalerts @ndmaindia pic.twitter.com/Frb975ndvb

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) July 11, 2023

730 students of Chaman Vatika Gurukul, a residential school in Ambala, were shifted to Kurukshetra after floodwater entered their hostel complex. School principal Sonali said the students were shifted on Monday evening and assistance was taken from the Army and the police to evacuate the students. (PTI)

In view of incessant heavy rains in the state, Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu conducted an aerial survey of the flood affected areas in the state. (ANI)

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu conducts an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas of the state.

(Video: CMO) pic.twitter.com/UVrIF3bstj

— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2023

The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Bihar, predicting that the state is likely to get heavy to very heavy rainfall from July 11 to July 13. It has also stated 'localized flooding' as a potential impact, releasing some safety measures that can be followed.

?? Orange Alert ??: #Bihar is likely to get heavy to very heavy rainfall (115.6 to 204.4 mm) from 11th to 13th July. #WeatherAlert #weatherforecast #Monsoon #monsoon2023@moesgoi@DDNewslive@airnewsalerts@ndmaindia@imd_patna pic.twitter.com/Jct4EdbwEx

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) July 11, 2023

As heavy rains batter North India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast showers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as well.

According to the latest observation by the weather department on Monday, a cyclonic circulation lies over Southwest Bay of Bengal off the north Tamil Nadu coast at 5.8 km above mean sea level.

It was noted that heavy rain is likely to occur at one or two places over Cuddalore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai and Sivaganga districts of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal area on Monday. (Read more)

A helicopter from the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been requisitioned to airlift the tourists stranded at Chandertal in Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh while a rescue team from Kaza has reached Kunzum Top and is just eight kilometres away from the lake, Principal Secretary, Revenue, Onkar Chand Sharma said on Tuesday.

Salute to the Disasters Response Forces, local Administration and Police Forces for their remarkable bravery and resilience during the challenging operation to rescue civilians trapped in the Beas River today. cont..1 pic.twitter.com/yJLJLggWBT

— CMO HIMACHAL (@CMOFFICEHP) July 10, 2023

Around 300 people, mostly tourists, are stuck in camps at Chandertal, located at an altitude of 14,100 feet, following rain and snowfall in the region.

"Two of them were facing breathing issues due to the high altitude and they would be airlifted," Sharma said. (PTI)

Floods in Jummagad river in the border area of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand has washed away the bridge built on it, blocking the Indo-Tibet border road there while contact with over a dozen border villages has also been lost.

Flooding in Jummagad river flowing near Jumma village on the Joshimath-Niti highway, about 45 km from Joshimath, continued till late night on Monday evening, in which the bridge collapsed.

The Joshimath-Malari border road is now blocked and traffic connectivity to over a dozen border villages in the area has also stopped. Supply to border outposts by road has also come to a standstill.

The flood water was so high that it kept flowing over the Joshimath-Malari road, which stood several metres above the river. (PTI)

Four pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh died and seven more were injured when a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall buried three vehicles near the Gangnani bridge on the Gangotri National Highway here, officials said Tuesday.

The incident took place on Monday night when the vehicles came under debris due to the landslide from the hill near the bridge.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the incident and urged people to avoid unnecessary travel during heavy rains. (PTI)

Three Shatabdi trains — two Kalka-New Delhi and one Chandigarh-New Delhi — were cancelled along with Vande Bharat and two dozen other trains for Monday and Tuesday. The trains were cancelled following heavy rainfall and waterlogging/overflow on the tracks. Sources said the cancellation period of the trains can be increased in view of the maintenance of the damaged tracks. These trains will also not run from Delhi to Chandigarh.

A railway officer said, “Almost all the trains plying on Ambala-Chandigarh-Kalka section were cancelled for the next 24 hours. These trains also included passenger trains. Almost 35 trains originate from Chandigarh every day and most of these trains are cancelled.” (Read more)

As heavy showers continue to lash Punjab leading to severe waterlogging, Chandigarh residents have questioned the city’s ‘smart city’ tag. Meanwhile, civic administrations of Patiala and Jalandhar have sought Indian Army’s aid in flood relief operations.

As per officials, the Yamuna in Delhi has exceeded the evacuation mark of 206 metres, prompting the relocation of people residing in flood-prone and low-lying areas to safer locations. It is expected that the river will rise to 206.65 metres by Tuesday afternoon, before gradually subsiding.

Following the increase in water level, the rail traffic over the old Yamuna bridge in the national capital was temporarily suspended on Tuesday. (Read more)

#WATCH | Delhi | People wade through water in the Yamuna Bazar area near Old Yamuna Bridge. The area is flooded due to a rise in the water level of River Yamuna. pic.twitter.com/qzacy8Kfxc

— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2023

There appears to be no immediate respite in the offing for Himachal Pradesh, which has been battered by rains over the last few days, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Tuesday, issued "red" and "orange" alerts for several districts of the hill-state for the next 24 hours.

"A red alert has been issued for very heavy rainfall in Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Kullu, Mandi, Kinnaur, and Lahaul for the next 24 hours. Additionally, an orange alert has been issued in Una, Hamirpur, Kangra, and Chamba. A flash flood warning has been issued for Mandi, Kinnaur, and Lahaul-Spiti for the next 24 hours," said senior IMD Scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma on Monday. (ANI)