News Analysis India

Tag: flash floods

  • Rains continue to lash Punjab, Haryana; Army assistance sought in Patiala

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Rains battered parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third consecutive day on Monday with authorities working round the clock to reach out to people in the worst-hit places in hours of crisis.

    According to the meteorological department, it has been raining in many parts of Punjab and Haryana since morning.

    In view of the prevailing situation caused due to incessant rains, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting of senior officials of various departments, including Home, Disaster Management and Urban Local Bodies, officials said.

    Khattar will also be holding a meeting with deputy commissioners later in the day through video-conferencing, they said.

    READ MORE: Delhi submerged as torrential rain continues on Day 2

    Authorities have already ordered the closure of schools in some affected areas in Punjab and Haryana.

    As torrential rains battered several parts of Punjab, Army assistance was sought by the Patiala district administration after water overflowed from the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal in Rajpura town following a breach.

    The Army has been put on alert in some other parts of Punjab, officials said.

    In Rajpura, water entered a private hospital and the patients were shifted to two other hospitals, they said. In some places in Punjab, there were breaches in distributaries and minor canals.

    A street dog near a waterlogged road during monsoon rain near Yamuna Bazar area, in New Delhi (Photo | PTI)

    Fields were inundated at many places in Punjab and parts of Haryana causing crop damage. Tracts of land near Sutlej and Ghaggar river were inundated.

    ALSO READ: As rains lash India, IMD issues red alert in Himachal Pradesh, flood alert for two Jammu districts

    In some places in Punjab, water gushed into houses and in a few places, people were evacuated to safer places.

    The heavy monsoon downpour continued to lead to traffic snarls on key road stretches in the two states, the officials said.

    Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav had earlier said extensive arrangements have been made to deal with any kind of exigency arising out of potential floods.

    Several teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been deployed in the flood-ravaged districts, including Mohali, Rupnagar and Fatehgarh Sahib.

    Schools have also been ordered to remain shut on Monday in some worst-affected districts of Punjab and Haryana, including Rupnagar, Mohali, Patiala, Ambala and Panchkula.

    ALSO READ | 13 killed as rains, flash floods lash U’khand, HP

    In the wake of a flood-like situation due to incessant rains in several parts of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Sunday directed all the cabinet ministers, MLAs and officials to stay alert and reach out to people in need.

    Flood control rooms have been set up in all the districts of Punjab to help the people in hours of crisis.

    Helpline numbers have been publicised and officials have been appointed round the clock in these control rooms to serve the people, an official statement said.

    Owing to the heavy rains, the water level of the Yamuna river at Hathini Kund Barrage is constantly increasing, due to which people of low-lying areas adjacent to Yamuna have been asked to stay away from the riverbank, the officials said.

    On Monday at 8 am, 2.79 lakh cusecs of water were discharged from the barrage, they said.

    In Punjab’s Rupnagar, Siswan Nadi breached near Kamalpur, the officials said.

    Rains lashed Chandigarh, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, among other places in Haryana while Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Rupnagar and Patiala in Punjab also received showers.

    Due to incessant rains in the catchment areas of the Sukhna Lake here, two of the floodgates were opened on Sunday, the officials said.

    CHANDIGARH: Rains battered parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third consecutive day on Monday with authorities working round the clock to reach out to people in the worst-hit places in hours of crisis.

    According to the meteorological department, it has been raining in many parts of Punjab and Haryana since morning.

    In view of the prevailing situation caused due to incessant rains, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting of senior officials of various departments, including Home, Disaster Management and Urban Local Bodies, officials said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Khattar will also be holding a meeting with deputy commissioners later in the day through video-conferencing, they said.

    READ MORE: Delhi submerged as torrential rain continues on Day 2

    Authorities have already ordered the closure of schools in some affected areas in Punjab and Haryana.

    As torrential rains battered several parts of Punjab, Army assistance was sought by the Patiala district administration after water overflowed from the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal in Rajpura town following a breach.

    The Army has been put on alert in some other parts of Punjab, officials said.

    In Rajpura, water entered a private hospital and the patients were shifted to two other hospitals, they said. In some places in Punjab, there were breaches in distributaries and minor canals.

    A street dog near a waterlogged road during monsoon rain near Yamuna Bazar area, in New Delhi (Photo | PTI)

    Fields were inundated at many places in Punjab and parts of Haryana causing crop damage. Tracts of land near Sutlej and Ghaggar river were inundated.

    ALSO READ: As rains lash India, IMD issues red alert in Himachal Pradesh, flood alert for two Jammu districts

    In some places in Punjab, water gushed into houses and in a few places, people were evacuated to safer places.

    The heavy monsoon downpour continued to lead to traffic snarls on key road stretches in the two states, the officials said.

    Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav had earlier said extensive arrangements have been made to deal with any kind of exigency arising out of potential floods.

    Several teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been deployed in the flood-ravaged districts, including Mohali, Rupnagar and Fatehgarh Sahib.

    Schools have also been ordered to remain shut on Monday in some worst-affected districts of Punjab and Haryana, including Rupnagar, Mohali, Patiala, Ambala and Panchkula.

    ALSO READ | 13 killed as rains, flash floods lash U’khand, HP

    In the wake of a flood-like situation due to incessant rains in several parts of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Sunday directed all the cabinet ministers, MLAs and officials to stay alert and reach out to people in need.

    Flood control rooms have been set up in all the districts of Punjab to help the people in hours of crisis.

    Helpline numbers have been publicised and officials have been appointed round the clock in these control rooms to serve the people, an official statement said.

    Owing to the heavy rains, the water level of the Yamuna river at Hathini Kund Barrage is constantly increasing, due to which people of low-lying areas adjacent to Yamuna have been asked to stay away from the riverbank, the officials said.

    On Monday at 8 am, 2.79 lakh cusecs of water were discharged from the barrage, they said.

    In Punjab’s Rupnagar, Siswan Nadi breached near Kamalpur, the officials said.

    Rains lashed Chandigarh, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, among other places in Haryana while Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Rupnagar and Patiala in Punjab also received showers.

    Due to incessant rains in the catchment areas of the Sukhna Lake here, two of the floodgates were opened on Sunday, the officials said.

  • Moderate risk of flash flood in parts of Maharashtra’s Vidarbha, warns IMD

    By PTI

    NAGPUR:  The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday warned of “moderate flash flood risk” in the next 24 hours in a few areas in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

    Talking to PTI, Dr Praveen Kumar, scientist, Regional Meteorological Centre (Nagpur) – a unit of the IMD – said there is a possibility of “moderate flash flood risk” in the next 24 hours in a few places of Nagpur, Amravati, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Chandrapur and Bhandara districts of Vidarbha.

    Due to a well-marked low-pressure area over central parts of Madhya Pradesh, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected over the adjoining state and moderate to heavy showers over a few districts of Vidarbha, which may cause moderate flooding, he said.

    According to the latest IMD bulletin, a thunderstorm with lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over Nagpur and Wardha.

    Light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur at most places over Wardha, many places over Nagpur, at a few areas over Yavatmal and at isolated places over Akola, Amravati, Chandrapur and Washim districts of Vidarbha, it said.

    There is a possibility of an intense spell of rainfall with the gusty wind (speed 40-50 kmph) at isolated places over Nagpur, said the bulletin.

    NAGPUR:  The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday warned of “moderate flash flood risk” in the next 24 hours in a few areas in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

    Talking to PTI, Dr Praveen Kumar, scientist, Regional Meteorological Centre (Nagpur) – a unit of the IMD – said there is a possibility of “moderate flash flood risk” in the next 24 hours in a few places of Nagpur, Amravati, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Chandrapur and Bhandara districts of Vidarbha.

    Due to a well-marked low-pressure area over central parts of Madhya Pradesh, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected over the adjoining state and moderate to heavy showers over a few districts of Vidarbha, which may cause moderate flooding, he said.

    According to the latest IMD bulletin, a thunderstorm with lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over Nagpur and Wardha.

    Light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur at most places over Wardha, many places over Nagpur, at a few areas over Yavatmal and at isolated places over Akola, Amravati, Chandrapur and Washim districts of Vidarbha, it said.

    There is a possibility of an intense spell of rainfall with the gusty wind (speed 40-50 kmph) at isolated places over Nagpur, said the bulletin.

  • Monsoon fury: At least 50 dead in rain-related incidents in Himachal, other states in three days

    By Online Desk

    At least 50 people have died in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Odisha over the last three days in flash floods and landslides triggered by intense monsoon rains, according to news agency Reuters.

    22 people were killed and 12 injured in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday.

    The maximum damage was reported from Mandi, Kangra, and Chamba districts.

    Five people who went missing after heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh remained untraceable on Sunday, State Disaster Management Department director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta told PTI.

    The five who went missing after a flash flood in Baghi nullah on the Mandi-Katola-Prashar road in Mandi are still untraceable, he added.

    Several families fled their homes located between Baghi and Old Katola after a cloudburst in the area on Saturday and took shelter at safer places.

    Mokhta said the Shimla-Chandigarh highway, which was blocked on Saturday evening following a landslide at Sonu Bangla between Shoghi and Tara Devi, has been cleared for vehicular movement.

    However, several roads, especially in Mandi, are still closed for traffic and work is on clear them, he added.

    Principal secretary, Revenue, Onkar Sharma said Rs 232.31 crore has been released from the State Disaster Response Fund to the affected districts.

    Two major rivers in Odisha breach danger mark

    In the state of Odisha, authorities in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts have launched a massive evacuation drive in low-lying areas, officials said Sunday, as water in Subarnarekha and Baitarani – the two major rivers flowing through the region  breached the danger mark at many places.

    As many as 58 rescue teams comprising personnel of the NDRF, ODRAF and Fire Service were deployed in Balasore and Mayurbahnj districts, Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep K Jena said, adding similar arrangements were also being made in adjoining districts of Bhadrak and Jajpur.

    The water level in all the rivers located in north Odisha are in spate due to heavy rains caused by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, and subsequent flood water release from Jharkhand.

    According to Jena, nearly 6 lakh cusecs of water were discharged by Jharkhand from Galudih barrage on the Subarnarekha river system, following a heavy downpour.

    Most rivers flowing through the northern region of Odisha into the Bay of Bengal originate in neighbouring Jharkhand.

    Four blocks in coastal Balasore district –Baliapal, Bhograi, Basta and Jaleswar –were identified as most vulnerable to the latest flooding.

    On Sunday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik delegated powers of a special relief commissioner to the collector of Balasore district so that the local administration could be more effective.

    A helicopter was also placed at his disposal to deal with any emergency.

    Odisha is already reeling under the impact of moderate floods in the Mahanadi river system following incessant rainfall, which has affected above 7 lakh people.

    Nearly 5 lakh are still marooned in 763 villages, according to government estimates.

    Rains and flood-related incidents have so far claimed six lives.

    Two bodies were recovered in Kuchinda area of Sambalpur district on Saturday, while four people, including two minor girls, were killed in a wall collapse on Friday night.

    ALSO READ | Odisha floods: It has been raining misery for Kandhamal, Kalahandi

    Jharkhand hit by torrential rains

     
    Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, three persons lost their lives amid heavy rain and strong winds that lashed several districts of the state, inundating low-lying areas and uprooting trees and electricity poles, officials said.

    A woman died when a mud wall of her house collapsed in West Singhbhum district, as a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal brought torrential rainfall in various parts of the state on Saturday, they said.

    Two persons drowned in Ramgarh district and two more went missing when their vehicles fell into the swollen Nalkari river, and were swept away by the strong current, the officials said.

    Flood-like situation on Vaishno Devi yatra track

    In Jammu, the yatra to the Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir was temporarily suspended on Friday evening following heavy rain, officials said.

    Chief Executive Officer of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Anshul Garg said the situation was under control and there was no report of any casualty or damage.

    Several videos shared on social media show flood-like situation on the Vaishno Devi track.

    An official said heavy rains lashed Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the revered shrine, for several hours in the evening, prompting the authorities to suspend the yatra as a precautionary measure till 5 am on Saturday.

    (With inputs from PTI)

    At least 50 people have died in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Odisha over the last three days in flash floods and landslides triggered by intense monsoon rains, according to news agency Reuters.

    22 people were killed and 12 injured in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday.

    The maximum damage was reported from Mandi, Kangra, and Chamba districts.

    Five people who went missing after heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh remained untraceable on Sunday, State Disaster Management Department director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta told PTI.

    The five who went missing after a flash flood in Baghi nullah on the Mandi-Katola-Prashar road in Mandi are still untraceable, he added.

    Several families fled their homes located between Baghi and Old Katola after a cloudburst in the area on Saturday and took shelter at safer places.

    Mokhta said the Shimla-Chandigarh highway, which was blocked on Saturday evening following a landslide at Sonu Bangla between Shoghi and Tara Devi, has been cleared for vehicular movement.

    However, several roads, especially in Mandi, are still closed for traffic and work is on clear them, he added.

    Principal secretary, Revenue, Onkar Sharma said Rs 232.31 crore has been released from the State Disaster Response Fund to the affected districts.

    Two major rivers in Odisha breach danger mark

    In the state of Odisha, authorities in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts have launched a massive evacuation drive in low-lying areas, officials said Sunday, as water in Subarnarekha and Baitarani – the two major rivers flowing through the region  breached the danger mark at many places.

    As many as 58 rescue teams comprising personnel of the NDRF, ODRAF and Fire Service were deployed in Balasore and Mayurbahnj districts, Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep K Jena said, adding similar arrangements were also being made in adjoining districts of Bhadrak and Jajpur.

    The water level in all the rivers located in north Odisha are in spate due to heavy rains caused by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, and subsequent flood water release from Jharkhand.

    According to Jena, nearly 6 lakh cusecs of water were discharged by Jharkhand from Galudih barrage on the Subarnarekha river system, following a heavy downpour.

    Most rivers flowing through the northern region of Odisha into the Bay of Bengal originate in neighbouring Jharkhand.

    Four blocks in coastal Balasore district –Baliapal, Bhograi, Basta and Jaleswar –were identified as most vulnerable to the latest flooding.

    On Sunday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik delegated powers of a special relief commissioner to the collector of Balasore district so that the local administration could be more effective.

    A helicopter was also placed at his disposal to deal with any emergency.

    Odisha is already reeling under the impact of moderate floods in the Mahanadi river system following incessant rainfall, which has affected above 7 lakh people.

    Nearly 5 lakh are still marooned in 763 villages, according to government estimates.

    Rains and flood-related incidents have so far claimed six lives.

    Two bodies were recovered in Kuchinda area of Sambalpur district on Saturday, while four people, including two minor girls, were killed in a wall collapse on Friday night.

    ALSO READ | Odisha floods: It has been raining misery for Kandhamal, Kalahandi

    Jharkhand hit by torrential rains

     
    Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, three persons lost their lives amid heavy rain and strong winds that lashed several districts of the state, inundating low-lying areas and uprooting trees and electricity poles, officials said.

    A woman died when a mud wall of her house collapsed in West Singhbhum district, as a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal brought torrential rainfall in various parts of the state on Saturday, they said.

    Two persons drowned in Ramgarh district and two more went missing when their vehicles fell into the swollen Nalkari river, and were swept away by the strong current, the officials said.

    Flood-like situation on Vaishno Devi yatra track

    In Jammu, the yatra to the Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir was temporarily suspended on Friday evening following heavy rain, officials said.

    Chief Executive Officer of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Anshul Garg said the situation was under control and there was no report of any casualty or damage.

    Several videos shared on social media show flood-like situation on the Vaishno Devi track.

    An official said heavy rains lashed Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the revered shrine, for several hours in the evening, prompting the authorities to suspend the yatra as a precautionary measure till 5 am on Saturday.

    (With inputs from PTI)

  • At least 31 people killed, 22 in Himachal, following rain triggered flash floods and landslides

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: More than 30 people were reported killed following flash floods and landslides in parts of the country on Saturday.

    Rain wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha and Jharkhand. 

    At least 31 people were killed, 22 of them in Himachal Pradesh alone, as heavy monsoon rains triggered flash floods, landslides, and house collapses, upending normal life across large swathes of the country.

    The fatalities included four each in Uttarakhand and Odisha, and one in Jharkhand.

    Heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh since Friday caused landslides and flash floods, with officials saying 22 people, including eight members of a family, died.

    Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appealed to the government of Himachal Pradesh to provide all possible help to those affected by flash floods and landslides in the state.

    “There has been heavy destruction in Himachal Pradesh due to landslides, cloudbursts and floods. News of mishaps coming from different parts of the state is very saddening,” Gandhi said in a Facebook post in Hindi.

    “I appeal to the government to provide all possible help to those affected as soon as possible. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he said.

    Gandhi also expressed condolences to the bereaved families.

    NEW DELHI: More than 30 people were reported killed following flash floods and landslides in parts of the country on Saturday.

    Rain wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha and Jharkhand. 

    At least 31 people were killed, 22 of them in Himachal Pradesh alone, as heavy monsoon rains triggered flash floods, landslides, and house collapses, upending normal life across large swathes of the country.

    The fatalities included four each in Uttarakhand and Odisha, and one in Jharkhand.

    Heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh since Friday caused landslides and flash floods, with officials saying 22 people, including eight members of a family, died.

    Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appealed to the government of Himachal Pradesh to provide all possible help to those affected by flash floods and landslides in the state.

    “There has been heavy destruction in Himachal Pradesh due to landslides, cloudbursts and floods. News of mishaps coming from different parts of the state is very saddening,” Gandhi said in a Facebook post in Hindi.

    “I appeal to the government to provide all possible help to those affected as soon as possible. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he said.

    Gandhi also expressed condolences to the bereaved families.

  • IAF rescues two from flashfloods in Kathua

    By PTI

    JAMMU:  Indian Air Force personnel rescued two persons trapped in flash-floods in river Ujh in Kathua district on Monday evening, officials said.

    After getting information that two persons along with dozen of animals were trapped in the river, the army and district administration launched a rescue operation, they said.

    The administration called for IAF choppers, who speedily launched a rescue operation, they said.

    However, the animals were washed away in the flash-floods, they said.

    JAMMU:  Indian Air Force personnel rescued two persons trapped in flash-floods in river Ujh in Kathua district on Monday evening, officials said.

    After getting information that two persons along with dozen of animals were trapped in the river, the army and district administration launched a rescue operation, they said.

    The administration called for IAF choppers, who speedily launched a rescue operation, they said.

    However, the animals were washed away in the flash-floods, they said.

  • Helicopter reaches Himachal’s Lahaul to rescue remaining 66 people stranded in Udaipur

    By PTI
    SHIMLA: A helicopter on Sunday reached Himachal Pradesh’s tribal district Lahaul-Spiti to rescue the remaining 66 people stranded there for six days, a state disaster management official said.

    State disaster management director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said that the helicopter reached Lahaul this morning and will be rescuing the 66 people stranded at various places in Udaipur.

    Of them, 37 are stranded at Jahlama, 15 at Shansha and 14 at Fooda, he added.

    The helicopter was allowed to fly as weather was favourable on Sunday. Earlier, it could not fly due to bad weather for two days, Mokhta added.

    So, 178 stranded people were rescued through a zipline or ropeway as a helicopter could not fly for evacuation due to bad weather, he added.

    They were stranded at Udaipur in the tribal district after a cloudburst over Tojing Nullah on Tuesday, he added.

    Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had on Saturday visited flood-affected areas of the Lahaul Valley to take stock of the losses due to flooding in Tojing Nallah on July 27.

    Thakur had also inspected the areas with a team of the district administration, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

  • 7 feared dead, 9 missing in flash floods triggered by heavy rains in  Himachal Pradesh

    By PTI
    SHIMLA: At least seven people are feared dead and nine reported missing in flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh, a senior disaster management official said on Wednesday.

    State Disaster Management director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said four people are feared dead in Kullu district and one person is feared dead in Chamba.

    Two people were killed and nine are missing in Lahaul-Spiti.

    In Kullu, a 26-year-old woman, Poonam, and her four-year-old son Nikunj were swept away in Brahamganga, a tributary of the Parvati river, near Manikaran around 6:15 am on Wednesday due to a sudden surge in the water level, he said.

    Another woman and a man were also swept away in the flash floods, he added.

    In Lahaul’s Udaipur, two tents of labourers and a private JCB were washed away in the flash floods triggered by a cloudburst around 8 pm on Tuesday, Mokhta said.

    Two people were killed and nine labourers are still missing, he said.

    He said police and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) teams were dispatched to search for the missing people but the heavy flow of water hampered the search operation on Tuesday night.

    The search operation resumed on Wednesday morning.

    Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner Neeraj Kumar told PTI that a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been requisitioned for rescuing the labourers trapped under the debris of landslides.

    “The NDRF team is on its way and is likely to reach the spot by afternoon,” he said.

    The district administration is arranging the necessary equipment at the spot for a prompt rescue operation by the NDRF, he added.

    In Chamba, a JCB helper was washed away in the flash floods in Chaned tehsil, Mokhta said.

    In Lahaul-Spiti, several roads have been blocked and around 60 vehicles are stranded due to multiple landslides, he said.

    Many roads in various other parts of the state have been blocked due to landslides.

    A car was damaged in a landslide in Vikas Nagar in Shimla city, he said.

    Meanwhile, heavy rains continued to lash various parts of the state.

    The Shimla Meteorological Centre has issued a ‘red’ weather warning.

    Earlier on Tuesday, several people were evacuated from Lahaul-Spiti’s Darcha village after water levels rose in the Bhaga river following a heavy spell of rain, Mokhta said.

    According to the Darcha police check-post, the water level in the river increased considerably due to the heavy rainfall, damaging three shops near the river bank.

    People living near low-lying areas have been safely evacuated by police, Mokhta said.

  • 4 feared dead, 9 missing in flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh

    By PTI
    SHIMLA: At least four people are feared dead and nine reported missing in flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh, a senior disaster management official said on Wednesday.

    State Disaster Management director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said two people are feared dead in Kullu district and one person is feared dead in Chamba.

    One person was killed and nine are missing in Lahaul-Spiti.

    In Kullu, a 25-year-old woman, Poonam, and her four-year-old son Nikunj were washed away in Brahamganga, a tributary of the Parvati river, near Manikaran around 6:15 am on Wednesday due to a sudden surge in the water level, he said.

    In Udaipur in Lahaul, two tents of labourers and a private JCB were washed away in the flash floods triggered by a cloudburst around 8 pm on Tuesday, Mokhta said.

    While one labourer was killed, another was injured.

    The injured labourer has been identified as Mohammad Altaaf (19) from Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

    At least, nine labourers are still missing, he added.

    Mokhta said police and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) teams were dispatched to search for the missing people but the heavy flow of water hampered the search operation on Tuesday night.

    The search operation resumed on Wednesday morning.

    In Chamba, a JCB helper was washed away in the flash floods in Chaned tehsil, Mokhta said.

    In Lahaul-Spiti, several roads have been blocked and around 60 vehicles are stranded due to multiple landslides, he said.

    Many roads in various other parts of the state have been blocked due to landslides.

    A car was damaged in a landslide in Vikas Nagar in Shimla city, he added.

    Meanwhile, heavy rains continued to lash various parts of the state.

    The Shimla Meteorological Centre has issued a ‘red’ weather warning.

    Earlier on Tuesday, several people were evacuated from Lahaul-Spiti’s Darcha village after water levels rose in the Bhaga river following a heavy spell of rain, Mokhta said.

    According to the Darcha police check-post, the water level in the river increased considerably due to the heavy rainfall, damaging three shops near the river bank.

    People living near low-lying areas have been safely evacuated by police, Mokhta said.

  • Flash floods triggered by heavy rains hit Himachal; 1 killed, 10 missing

    By PTI
    SHIMLA: At least one person was killed while 10 have gone missing as flash floods triggered by incessant rains lashed Himachal Pradesh, a senior disaster management official said on Wednesday.

    State disaster management director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said that one person was killed and nine went missing in flash floods triggered by a cloudburst in the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti while another man was reported missing from the Chamba district.

    In Lahaul-Spiti, the incident took place at Udaipur in Lahaul at around 8 PM on Tuesday, he said.

    Two tents of labourers and a private JCB have been washed away, he said, adding that a 19-year-old labourer, Mohammad Altaaf of Jammu and Kashmir, was injured and rushed to a nearby hospital.

    The state police and the ITBP teams were dispatched for searching the missing people but a heavy flow of water hampered the search operation on Tuesday night, the official said.

    He said that the search operation resumed on Wednesday morning.

    In Chamba, a JCB helper has been washed away in the flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Chaned tehsil on the Chamba-Pathankot road, he said.

    A search operation is being carried out by the police and fire brigade teams.

    Several roads have been blocked and around 60 vehicles stuck as multiple landslides and flash floods occurred in various parts of Lahaul-Spiti, Mokhta said.

    A landslide near Kirting village on state highway number 26 (SKTT) in Lahaul has led to a road blockade.

    A JCB has been sent for its restoration, he said.

    Meanwhile, heavy rains continue to lash various parts of the state with the Shimla meteorological centre issuing a red weather warning.

    Earlier on Tuesday, several people were evacuated from Lahaul-Spiti’s Darcha village after the water level rose in the Bhaga river following a heavy spell of rain, Mokhta said.

    According to the Darcha police check-post, the water level in the river increased considerably due to the heavy rainfall, damaging three shops near the river bank.

    People living near low-lying areas have been safely evacuated by the police, the official added.

  • Ice avalanche, subglacial lake burst set off flash floods: Scientist

    Express News Service
    BENGALURU: The flash floods in the Rishiganga valley that claimed more than 30 lives, with 204 people still missing, might have started with a “massive ice avalanche”, stated Dr Anil Kulkarni, distinguished scientist, Divecha Centre for Climate Change (DCCC), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, in a research note on the Uttarakhand devastation. 

    “It could be the snow avalanche/landslide downstream, and a release of 1.6 million cubic metre of water stored in subglacial lakes in the Raunthi glacier,” added the scientist. The region also has many glaciers with subglacial lakes. “Therefore, further investigation is necessary to assess risk from a flash flood,” said Kulkarni.Glacial lakes are formed when glacial ice melts to form lakes, which are held together by loose debris. A glacial lake outburst flood occurs when the dam for these glacial lakes fails. 

    No data on subglacial lakes: Expert 

    The DCCC has developed a new tool — Himalayan Glacier Thickness Mapper (HIGHTHIM) — to map depression in the bedrock below glacier ice. The tool is based on laminar flow equation and surface slope, and has been used successfully to map depressions below South Lhonak Lake in Sikkim, and estimate its future expansion. HIGHTHIM was applied to Raunthi, Trishul, Bethartoli and North Nanda Devi glaciers to map the series of depressions and subglacial lakes at the bottom of the Raunthi glacier. The DCCC and IIT-Roorkee, under IMPRINT-I project, had investigated glacial lakes in the Alaknanda basin.

    The paper was published in 2019, where 26 lakes were mapped. One of the lakes identified in Nanda Devi glaciers’ ablation region was 3 Ha, where the initial assessment suggested that the lake was shallow. Additionally, a substantial part of the lake might have been frozen during the winter, considering its location and size.

    Veteran geologist and glaciologist at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, DP Dobhal concurred with Kulkarni’s analysis and said the flash floods could be the result of subglacial lake burst. “Unfortunately, we don’t have data on the subglacial lakes in the Himalayan region,” he told TNIE. Dobhal said it is possible the water was hidden under the glacier, and held by some loose debris and ice at the edge of the glacier.

    Once this was disturbed, the trapped water was let loose. It is also possible that an “older avalanche or landslide may have blocked a part of a stream, causing water to accumulate in the area for some time. But as the mass of accumulating water increased beyond a certain thre shold, i t breached the block, resulting in the gushing of water through the gorge,” said the glaciologist. He said there were around 50 hydel power projects in the region at various stages — under proposal, planning and construction.

    “Glacial assessment and monitoring is a must before these hydel power projects are planned,” he added. Dobhal has been studying changes in the Himalayan glaciers for several decades.