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Shimla/Dehradun: Monsoon rains triggered flash floods, landslides and house collapses, leaving at least 31 people dead in the hilly areas of the north and the plains of the east, bringing life to a standstill in a large part of the country. Among the dead, 22 people are from Himachal Pradesh alone. At the same time, four each have died in Uttarakhand and Odisha and one person has died in Jharkhand. At least 22 people have died in Himachal Pradesh in the past 24 hours in landslides, floods and cloudbursts caused by heavy rains. Eight of the dead belong to the same family. Ten people have been injured in these accidents in the state.
State Disaster Management Department director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said that due to heavy rains, the maximum damage has been done in Mandi, Kangra and Chamba districts. He said that 36 weather related incidents have been recorded in the state during the last 24 hours. He said that 743 roads including Manali-Chandigarh National Highway in Mandi and Shimla-Chandigarh Highway in Shoghi have been closed for traffic due to waterlogging. The Deputy Commissioner of Mandi district said that due to floods and landslides in Mandi district alone, 13 people died and six people went missing.
The Chakki bridge in Kangra in the state collapsed on Saturday due to heavy rains, disrupting the train service between Pathankot and Jogindernagar. In Uttarakhand, at least four people were killed while 10 went missing in various cloudburst incidents in the early hours of Saturday as rain caused embankments to collapse, bridges washed away, and mud and water accumulated inside homes. This forced the evacuation of people from many villages. Several roads were blocked for transport in view of the excess water damage, while all Anganwadi centers and schools in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district were ordered to be closed.
The rains also affected parts of eastern India, with the Mahanadi river area already in the grip of floods in Odisha and around 4 lakh people stranded in 500 villages. Four people have died due to this while one person has died in neighboring Jharkhand. Odisha has suffered more and parts of its north have been receiving rain since Friday night. Vegetable prices have shot up in Bhubaneswar markets due to supply chain disruptions.
Monitoring of rising water level of rivers in Odisha
Odisha Water Resources Chief Engineer BK Mishra said on Saturday that due to heavy rains in Balasore, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj last night, water level is being monitored in Subarnarekha, Budhbalang, Baitarani and Salandi. Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds has been lashing Jharkhand since Friday evening. Hundreds of trees and electric poles have been uprooted, while low-lying areas have been submerged in several districts. A woman died in an incident of earthen wall collapse in West Singhbhum district on Saturday morning, an official said.
Due to heavy rains, power supply has been disrupted for a long time in various cities and people have to face road jams, due to which normal life has come to a standstill. Officials of Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi said that till 2 pm on Saturday, two flights were canceled due to bad weather. The India Meteorological Department said that heavy rain is expected in West Madhya Pradesh on Sunday and East Rajasthan on Monday. Meanwhile, the Yatra to Mata Vaishno Devi Temple, situated on Trikuta hill in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, resumed this morning as the night yatra was temporarily suspended after heavy rains.
