Incessant rain triggers landslides in Uttarakhand and Himachal; Char Dham Yatra suspended | India News

The popular pilgrimage Char Dham Yatra has been cancelled by the authorities due to heavy rains. Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said all devotees have been requested not to set out for Char Dham Yatra outside Rishikesh as the meteorological department has predicted heavy rains in the Garhwal division on July 7 and 8, PTI reported.

Major roads, including the national highway to Badrinath, were blocked by landslides, causing further disruption in the hill state. On Saturday, two pilgrims from Hyderabad were killed when they were hit by boulders on the mountainside while returning from Badrinath on a motorcycle following a landslide near Chatwapeepal area in Karnaprayag in Chamoli district.

Rivers in the state have swollen and Alaknanda is approaching the danger mark at Vishnu Prayag near Joshimath. Lokjeet, superintendent of police (rural), Dehradun, said, “The rise in water level was already predicted. We are in constant touch with the administration and departments concerned. The police are also taking preventive measures. People living near the river bank have been displaced. Efforts are on to discourage people from visiting the river banks,” the news agency said. ANI reported.

Himachal Pradesh

The hill state is repeatedly hit by landslides due to torrential rains, which have closed nearly 151 roads for traffic, including 111 in Mandi, 13 in Sirmaur, nine in Shimla, eight each in Chamba and Kullu and one in Kangra district. A recent landslide in Shimla has closed National Highway 707 and debris and stones are disrupting the link between Hatkoti and Paonta Sahib. In another incident, a bus carrying 24 passengers was hit by a boulder on Renukaji Road in Sirmaur, injuring a woman and the driver.

The The Shimla Meteorological Office has issued a “yellow warning” for thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places till July 12. In addition, a Flash Flood Warning (FFR) has been issued by the MeT office for two districts – Shimla and Sirmaur – for the next 24 hours.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, at least 334 transformers were disrupted and 55 water supply systems were 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 town 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

The IMD has issued an ‘orange alert’ for the Konkan region and predicts moderate to heavy rainfall in central Maharashtra. The western state is experiencing strong surface winds and heavy rainfall, with Mumbai, Thane and Palghar severely affected. However, the rains are still insufficient in the Marathwada region.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 13 teams, each comprising 32 to 35 personnel, in different parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur. Another five teams are stationed at the NDRF headquarters in Pune, reported PTI.

In a recent incident, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Sunday rescued 49 people stranded at a flooded resort in Thane district. The resort in Shahpur area was inundated due to heavy rains.

In another incident, the NDRF and local fire brigade joined hands to rescue 16 villagers stranded in Palghar district. The villagers from Chalispada in Saiwan in Vasai were working in their fields when the area was inundated due to rising water levels of the nearby Tansa Lake. The NDRF and fire brigade were mobilised in the afternoon and after a quick response, all 16 stranded villagers were safely brought to higher ground.

The average water level in all the seven lakes that supply water to Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has risen by nearly 4 percent in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day rise in the lakes’ water level this season.

Assam

The flood situation in the northeastern state remains grim. Major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, are flowing beyond the danger mark and nearly 2.4 million people in 107 revenue circles and 3,535 villages in 29 districts of the state remain affected by floods, according to officials. The regional MeT office has issued an “alert” predicting heavy rains in isolated areas over Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Cachar and Karimganj.

Given the shortage of essential supplies, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the flood-affected Kamrup district to give instructions to the authorities on managing the relief camp.

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

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

Guwahati reported massive flooding, with the water level of the Brahmaputra reaching dangerously high levels. An eight-year-old boy from Jyoti Nagar area was identified by his parents at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) after he reportedly fell into a stormwater drain. PTI reported.

The rivers whose flow exceeds the danger mark include Brahmaputra at Neamatighat (Jorhat), Tezpur (Sonitpur) and Dhubri (Dhubri), Burhidihing near Chenimari (Dibrugarh), Dikhou near Sivasagar and Disang near Nanglamuraghat (Sivasagar); Dhansiri in Numaligarh (Golaghat), Kopili in Dharamtul (Nagaon), Kushiyara in Karimganj and Barak River in (BP Ghat) Cachar.