Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday spoke to senior ministers and officials and took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in several parts of India, according to a statement released by the PMO.
“The local administrations, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are working to ensure the well-being of those affected,” it added.
Several rivers in north India, including the Yamuna in Delhi, are in spate. In cities and towns across the region, many roads and residential areas are submerged in knee-deep water, with the civic system unable to hold on in the face of record rains on Sunday.
The hill state of Himachal Pradesh has borne the brunt of the monsoon’s fury, reporting at least 16 deaths and damage to several crucial highways and residential areas due to floods and landslides.
Himachal Pradesh: Flash floods in Mandi, Beas river swells amid rain
Four more people died due to landslides in Shimla in the worst-hit state Himachal Pradesh on Monday. The Shimla-Kalka highway remained blocked on Monday morning, as rains continued to beat down.
A cloud burst in Thunag caused flash floods in Mandi. In a video whose veracity has been confirmed by the police, water is seen gushing through the roads with debris, split tree branches and mud.
“We have rescued 80 people today. The situation is bad as the water level of the river is rising. Our team is on alert and we are reviewing the areas alongside the river Beas,” SSP Mandi Soumya Sambasivan was quoted as saying by ANI.
On Monday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a “red” alert for “extremely heavy rain” in the state.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said 16 or 17 people were killed in rain-related incidents in the state in the last two days. Twenty people stranded in tourist town of Manali were rescued but more than 200 others were stuck across various parts of the hill state, officials said.
Meanwhile, officials said rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route, a UNESCO world heritage site, have been suspended till Tuesday while educational institutions across the state were ordered to remain shut on Monday and Tuesday.
Kejriwal holds review meeting in Delhi as Yamuna level rises
The national capital has seen more rain over the weekend than it usually does over the whole of July. After two days of heavy rain caused waterlogging across the city, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday held a meeting with senior officers to discuss the ongoing issue and the increasing water level of the Yamuna River.
“Predictions indicate flood situation won’t arise,” he said at the meeting, adding that evacuation of people from low-lying areas around Yamuna will start once river breaches 206 metre mark.
Kejriwal also said potholes on Delhi roads will be filled with stones to prevent accidents, and that the NDMC has been asked to resolve waterlogging problems faced by residents. Further, he said that there will be inquiry into the incidents of roads caving in.
