News Analysis India

Tag: Uttarakhand Floods

  • 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)

  • Uttarakhand rains: 88 rescued as death toll rises to 75

    By PTI

    DEHRADUN: The death count in Uttarakhand rose to 75 on Friday as rescue workers found more bodies and also brought to safety score of stranded people after the rains that recently lashed the state.

    State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) men rescued 65 trekkers, including six foreigners, stranded near Bageshwar’s Pindari and Kafni glaciers.

    Twenty-three people were rescued from from Darma Valley of Pithoragarh.

    The official death toll in the state now is 68, including the five bodies of members of a team of 11 people who were trekking from Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi to Chitkul in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.

    The figure, however, does not include two others member of the Chitkul trek reported dead.

    Five people feared dead in Bageshwar are also not included in the official count.

    Rains battered Uttarakhand for nearly three days, beginning Sunday night, with the Kumaon division bearing the brunt of it.

    An official said Kumaon suffered a loss of Rs 2,000 crore, out of Rs 7,000 croe damage statewide estimated by the Uttarakhand government.

    “SDRF teams have rescued 42 tourists, including six foreigners, from Dwali near the Pindari glacier and 23 from the Kafni glacier,” Bageshwar DM Vineet Kumar told PTI.

    Meanwhile, two Cheetah helicopters, which were to make sorties in search of 10 members of a trekking team stranded in Sundardhunga, could not take off due to cloudy weather, he said.

    “But four members of the team have returned safe. We suspect that there may have been some casualties too. The helicopters will make another attempt early on Saturday morning in search of the missing members of the trekking team,” Kumar said.

    Besides, 15 people who had gone missing in Sarmool, the point of origin of the Saryu river, have also been found safe, he said.

    Twenty-one tourists and two ailing locals were rescued from Darma Valley of Pithoragarh district, DM Ashish Chauhan said.

    Two surviving members of a trekking team have already been rescued while the search for two missing is on, officials in Uttarkashi said.

    Kumaon Divisional Commissioner Sushil Kumar said, “Kumaon division bore the brunt of the unseasonal spell of record rains which damaged crops and property worth Rs 2,000 crore besides accounting for the highest number of deaths and large scale destruction of houses,” the official said.

    Fifty-nine deaths were reported from Kumaon alone with Nainital reporting the maximum 35 deaths followed by 11 in Champawat, six in Almora, one in Bageshwar and three each in Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar districts.

    Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday visited Dungri village in Chamoli district to meet the disaster-hit people.

    Accompanied by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj, state Disaster Management Minister Dhan Singh Rawat and officials, Dhami trekked up the steep slippery slopes of the village with a stick in hand for an on-the-spot assessment of the losses.

    Two persons of a family were buried in the rubble of a landslide in the village on October 19.

    Dhami met the surviving members of the family and promised them all help.

    He asked officials to speed up relief and rescue efforts in the affected areas assuring them that they will not have to face any shortage of resources.

  • Uttarakhand rains: Five tourists killed, toll rises to 65; state pegs its losses at Rs 7,000 crore

    By PTI

    DEHRADUN: Five stranded tourists have died in Kapkot in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon, officials said Thursday as the death toll in the state battered by the recent rains rose to 65 and its chief minister pegged the losses at Rs 7,000 crore.

    The confirmation about the death of tourists near Kapkot’s Sunderdhunga glacier in Bageshwar district came on a day when Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted an aerial survey of the rain damage in the state’s worst affected region.

    Earlier, the official count of the dead was 60.

    Apart from the five dead, one tourist was missing, officials said.

    Four were rescued.

    About 65 tourists had been trapped on the higher reaches of Bageshwar and rescue teams ere at work to bring those still remaining there to safety, officials said.

    Amit Shah told reporters at the Jollygrant airport here that the alertness of the Central and state government agencies helped contain the damage in Uttarakhand.

    Relief and rescue operations continued in the worst-hit Kumaon region amid efforts to restore connectivity and evacuate people from vulnerable areas.

    Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that three days of incessant rains – which began Sunday night — have caused damage of Rs 7,000 crore in the state.

    Restoring the network of damaged roads and bridges and evacuating people to safety is the priority at the moment, he said.

    At 28, Nainital district has reported the maximum number of deaths.

    Shah said a heavy rain alert was issued well in advance and led to precautionary steps like halting the Chardham Yatra.

    “The damage could have been more if this was not done. Timely mobilisation of search and rescue teams and arrival of IAF helicopters to assist in rescue operations helped minimise the potential damage,” the home minister said.

    He did not announce any immediate relief package for Uttarakhand and said a detailed estimate of the loss needed to be made first.

    He said the state was given Rs 250 crore a month ago considering its vulnerability to natural disasters and that can take care of the relief and rescue measures currently underway.

    The Centre is with the state government and will give all support to Uttarakhand in its rehabilitation efforts, the Union minister said.

    He said all blocked roads in the affected areas have been cleared, except three which suffered nearly 25-metre breaches.

    Shah said 80 per cent telephone connectivity has been restored and availability of 60 per cent electricity has been ensured so far in the affected areas.

    At a high-level meeting with officials and state ministers after surveying the rain-hit areas, Shah asked the Uttarakhand government to send medical teams to the affected areas to prevent the spread of disease.

    Damaged power lines should be repaired at the earliest and the good coordination between central and state agencies, which was evident during the spell of heavy rains in the state, should be kept up, he said.

    He also sought the state government’s suggestions on better disaster management.

    He said 3,500 people were rescued and 16,000 others were evacuated to safe locations.

    Seventeen teams of the National Disaster Response Force, seven teams of the State Disaster Response Force, 15 teams of the Provincial Armed Constabulary and 5,000 police personnel are engaged in the relief and rescue operations in the state.

    Uttarakhand Governor Gurmit Singh, Dhami, Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt and state Disaster Management Minister Dhan Singh Rawat had accompanied Shah during the aerial survey.

    Due to the heavy downpour and the flooding of the Naini lake, the area around Dhobi Ghat in Nainital is experiencing major landslides, District Magistrate Dhiraj Singh Garbiyal said.

    Around 100 families living there have been shifted, he said.

    Garbiyal said relief camps have been set up at a number of places.

    Twenty-five people were airlifted and six others were rescued with the help of rafts in Ramnagar, while 30 families from Sundarkhal and Ramnagar were airlifted and moved to safe locations.

    Relief camps have also been set up in Puchdi area, which was flooded.

    Fifty-four members of 10 families living in Puchdi Nai Basti have been accommodated in a relief camp set up at the Government Girls Primary School, Poochri, he said.

    Altogether 150 people were brought to Ramnagar safely in roadways buses and sent to their destinations, while 97 families affected by floods in Lalkuan have been shifted to a gurdwara and relief camps, he said.

    Meanwhile, the Chardham Yatra, which was temporarily halted on October 18 due to the heavy rain alert issued by the meteorological department, resumed with pilgrims leaving for Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri from Rishikesh Chardham bus terminal and Haridwar bus stand.

    Heli services for Kedarnath have also resumed.

    The weather at the Himalayan temples is chilly but there is no rain.

  • Death toll due to rainfall rises to 52 in Uttarakhand; rain fury in Uttar Pradesh, Bengal and Sikkim

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Six more bodies were recovered on Wednesday in rain-battered Uttarakhand, taking the death toll to 52 in the Himalayan state, while Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, and areas of north Bengal were also pounded by torrential rainfall that caused landslides and led to closure of National Highway 10, the main road linking Gangtok with the rest of the country.

    Three people were killed and hundreds marooned as heavy rains lashed Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly and Pilibhit districts over the last two days.

    In Uttarakhand, 17 people were injured and five went missing in rain-related incidents.

    The official count of missing people does not include a trekking team of 11, who left Uttarkashi but did not reach their destination Chitkul in Himachal Pradesh, and three porters who went missing while accompanying an ITBP patrol near the India-China border.

    ALSO READ: Situation still serious in flood-hit Uttarakhand, says Rahul Gandhi

    The Kumaon region of the state, which has been worst affected by the rainfall, also reported cases of 46 houses being damaged.

    With 28 deaths, Nainital alone has accounted for the highest number of fatalities.

    Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami extended his tour of the affected areas of Udham Singh Nagar and Champawat districts in Kumaon to take stock of the situation.

    He travelled by road as his helicopter could not take off from Haldwani due to technical reasons.

    Accompanied by Union Minister of State for Defence and Nainital MP Ajay Bhatt and State Disaster Management Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, Dhami, on board a tractor, crossed vast stretches of marooned fields in Udham Singh Nagar district and assessed the damage to crops.

    ALSO READ: Rain-hit Uttarakhand stares at damages beyond repair

    He also trudged through the streets of Champawat to get a first-hand assessment of the damage inflicted by nearly three days of incessant rains.

    Home Minister Amit Shah is also likely to arrive in the state late on Wednesday night to review the situation.

    He may also undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas on Thursday morning, officials said.

    The weather cleared across Uttarakhand on Wednesday, giving momentum to rescue operations and leading to the partial resumption of the Chardham Yatra, with pilgrims allowed to proceed to Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri.

    However, the yatra to Badrinath could not be resumed as the national highway leading to the temple was blocked by landslide at several points.

    ALSO READ: Experts explain what is causing heavy rains that killed dozens in Uttarakhand, Kerala over few days

    Water has receded completely from the streets of Nainital, which was cut off from the rest of the state on Monday, with the Naini lake flooding the roads and landslides choking them at various points.

    Life returned to normal in Nainital on Wednesday morning as tourists were found shopping and taxis plying through the town.

    Electricity and telephone connectivity which had been badly hit in Nainital by incessant rains has been restored.

    Villages on the outskirts of the town are still going without electricity and telephone connectivity.

    Haldwani and Kaladhungi roads have been opened partially to traffic restoring connectivity to Nainital.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand government to give Rs 4 lakh to kin of those killed in rain-related incidents

    The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said it has rescued over 1,300 people from flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand.

    The federal force has deployed 17 rescue teams in the state.

    Torrential rains pounded the tiny Himalayan state of Sikkim and the tea growing region of North Bengal, causing landslides which cut off National Highway-10.

    Normal life in parts of north Bengal was affected due to heavy showers in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri districts that triggered landslides, causing damages to roads and bridges, halting or constricting traffic in various places.

    As the downpour continued, 3,800 cusec water was released from Bengal’s Gajaoldoba Teesta Barrage, causing inundation in several parts of the low lying town of Jalpaiguri.

    ALSO READ: Over 300 people rescued from flood-affected Uttarakhand – NDRF

    Water from the overflowing Teesta also submerged National Highway 10 that connects Siliguri with Sikkim’s capital Gangtok at Teesta Bazar area, restricting traffic.

    The Meteorological Department issued a ‘red’ alert for Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Alipurduar, forecasting “extremely heavy rain at one or two places” in these districts till Thursday morning.

    Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rain during the period, it said.

    Several low-lying areas in Jalpaiguri district have been flooded owing to a rise in the water level of Teesta and Jaldhaka rivers.

    People from these areas were being moved to safe places for shelter.

    WATCH VIDEO: River washes away under-construction bridge as rains cause havoc in Uttarakhand

    Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday visited the flood-affected areas in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur and distributed relief material among the people.

    Instead of an aerial survey, Naqvi undertook a ground survey and even got on a boat to reach far-flung areas inundated due to the massive rains that have wreaked havoc in adjoining Uttarakhand.

    In Uttar Pradesh, around 500 villagers in Pilibhit are trapped in the flood water of the Sharda river.

    A couple in Bareilly’s Faridpur township and a nine-year-old boy in Ram Nagar area were killed after their houses collapsed because of heavy rains.

    The IMD, which had sounded an orange alert (heavy to very heavy rain) for 11 districts of Kerela on Wednesday withdrew it and changed it to yellow predicting ‘moderate rain’ in these areas.

  • Rain-hit Uttarakhand stares at damages beyond repair

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN:  Puran Singh Sijwali (39), a farmer from Bakrigod village near Joelikote in Nainital, has lost his house, farm and livestock. In many places in Uttarakhand, it will take a lifetime to rebuild life from the scratch.

    “A lot of land has been washed away along with our crops ready for harvest. This included paddy, vegetables and livestock. Our house is damaged beyond repair. It took 28 years to build all of this,” said Sijwali, who has been moved to a safer location in Haldwani of Nainital district.

    The state government is yet to assess the damages suffered by farmers. With the ongoing harvest season of paddy, a majority of the farmers had either started harvesting or were planning to do so in a day or two before the rains arrived with unprecedented fury.

    Vijay Singh, another farmer from Chhoti Haldwani village also known as Corbett village, said, “I was planning to start on October 18, but little did I know it will all be gone. We had planned our Diwali and year ahead based on the produce we planned to sell. Now our Diwali will be as dark as one can only imagine.”

    READ HERE | Rains batter Uttarakhand as 42 more die, Uttar Pradesh sees four fatalities; Kerala dams open gates

    Business owners, shopkeepers and people have suffered damages to their properties and possessions. Their lives have been thrown in disarray. Sandeep K Pandey, who runs a chain of shops that supplies homemade flavoured salts, said, “Tonnes of salt got dissolved as the shops in the hills are flooded.

    Hundreds of people have been sheltered at Kakrighat including some children. Roads have been washed away measuring in kilometres. It will take months to recuperate and rebuild. This is worse than 2013 for Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts.”

    Plight of the senior citizens, pregnant women, sick and those with other medical conditions have got worse as hundreds of villages remain cut off due to incidents of landslides which have blocked connecting roads in Kumaon hills. 

  • Rains batter Uttarakhand as 42 more die, Uttar Pradesh sees four fatalities; Kerala dams open gates

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Uttarakhand reported at least 42 rain-related deaths on Tuesday with many people still trapped under the rubble after landslides, while Uttar Pradesh witnessed four fatalities, even as heavy downpour in Kerala filled several dams to the brim and multiple districts were on alert.

    In view of the incessant rains, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reiterated his appeal to Chardham yatris to stay where they are and not to resume their journeys before the weather improved.

    “The number of casualties in Kumaon region alone has crossed 40,” DIG Nilesh Anand Bharne told PTI.

    With 42 new fatalities in the Kumaon region, the death toll in the disaster has risen to 47 as five deaths were reported on Monday.

    Of the 42 fresh deaths, 28 people were killed in Nainital district, six each in Almora and Champawat and one each in Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar districts, the official said.

    ALSO READ: Experts explain what is causing heavy rains that killed dozens in Uttarakhand, Kerala over few days

    The connectivity to Nainital was restored in the evening after hours of struggle amid inclement weather, officials said.

    Chief Minister Dhami undertook an aerial survey of the rain-hit areas and later interacted with the affected people on ground zero to make an assessment of the damages caused.

    He announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in rain-related incidents across the state over the last two days.

    Director General of Uttarakhand Police Ashok Kumar, who accompanied Chief Minister Dhami on a visit to the rain-hit areas of the Kumaon region, said roads, bridges and railway tracks have been damaged in Kathgodam and Lalkuan in Nainital and Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand government to give Rs 4 lakh to kin of those killed in rain-related incidents

    It will take at least four-five days to repair the damaged tracks, Kumar told PTI.

    Three Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters have arrived in the state and are assisting in relief and rescue operations.

    Two of them have been deployed in Nainital district, which has suffered extensive damage due to cloudbursts and landslides, Dhami said.

    According to a rough estimate, around 100 pilgrims from different parts of Gujarat who had gone to Uttarakhand for the Chardham Yatra were stranded following heavy rains and landslides, Gujarat Revenue Minister Rajendra Trivedi said.

    The National Disaster Response Force has rescued over 300 people from flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand, the federal force said on Tuesday.

    ALSO READ: Over 300 people rescued from flood-affected Uttarakhand – NDRF

    The NDRF has deployed 15 teams in the state.

    Rainfall was reported from other parts of the country as well including Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, according to the IMD, which forecast an intense spell of rain over east and northeast till Wednesday, and south peninsular region during the next four-five days.

    Authorities in the national capital said Prof Joginder Singh Marg in the western part of the city had been closed after the road caved in.

    A 35-year-old woman and her mother-in-law died in Uttar Pradesh’s Fathepur after a wall of their house collapsed following heavy rains.

    In Bareilly, also in UP, two labourers died of electrocution in Bisalpur road after coming in contact with a solar panel following heavy rains, police said.

    WATCH VIDEO: River washes away under-construction bridge as rains cause havoc in Uttarakhand

    In West Bengal, the Met department said heavy rainfall is very likely to continue till Thursday morning even as the low-pressure system that developed over the Gangetic Basin in the southern part of the state moved to Bihar, parts of which received heavy rains during the day.

    The weatherman warned of extremely heavy rainfall over Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Alipurduar till Wednesday morning and downpour till Thursday over all sub-Himalayan districts.

    The IMD forecast more rain on Wednesday in Odisha, which has already been battered by low-pressure area-induced downpour for the last three days.

    Fishermen were advised not to venture into the Bay of Bengal for the next 48 hours.

    Down south in Kerala, after a relative respite of two days, the IMD Tuesday issued an Orange Alert for 11 districts of Kerala indicating heavy rainfall.

    The weatherman has put 12 districts in the state on Orange alert on Thursday also.

    The IMD sounded an Orange alert for Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur districts on October 20.

    An Orange alert has been issued for all districts other than Kannur and Kasaragod on October 21.

    Idukki, Idamalayar, Pamba and Kakki, four major dams among the total 78 dams in the state have been opened to release the excess water.

    Shutters of Cheruthoni dam, part of the Idukki reservoir in Kerala, were opened on Tuesday to create more storage capacity in anticipation of the heavy rainfall predicted in its catchment area over the next two days.

    Various district administrations have issued alerts to the people living downstream and shifted them to relief camps set up in the state.

    The IMD said a low-pressure area lies over Bihar and neighbourhood.

    Also due to strong southerly/southeasterly winds from Bay of Bengal, a heavy spell of rainfall activity is very likely to continue over east and northeast India till October 20.

  • Experts explain what is causing heavy rains that killed dozens in Uttarakhand, Kerala over few days

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A confluence of cyclonic storms forming in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea is among the biggest reasons behind heavy rains in different parts of the country over the past few days that have claimed dozens of lives in Uttarakhand, Kerala and other states, experts said on Tuesday.

    Climate experts also warn the intensity of rains in Kerala and Uttarakhand is “alarming” and must draw immediate attention towards “climate emergency”.

    “The latest rains in Kerala are a result of a normal climatic event called retreating monsoon that happens every year. However, the intensity of rains there and in Uttarakhand is alarming and must draw our attention to the severity of climate emergency.

    “We have seen a steady rise in the number of adverse climatic events over the past few years and as a tropical country, I believe it is time India takes solid steps to help meet the climate targets as events since the past few years and this trend seems to be getting worsened,” said Kamal Narayan Omer, CEO, Integrated Health and Wellbeing Council (IHW Council).

    Ishteyaque Ahmed, Senior Climate Campaigner, Greenpeace India, said these rains were a consequence of the cyclonic storms from the east and the west and can lead to huge environmental losses and derail food security of the country.

    “Rising oceanic temperatures can strengthen otherwise weak cyclones and make them deadlier than expected. India is facing this crisis from three sides. In the last few days cyclonic storms are continuously forming in the Bay of Bengal as well as in the Arabian Sea.

    “The confluence of such eastern and western storms is among the biggest causes of such disastrous rains in different parts of the country. These untimely erratic rains, responsible for big human and environmental losses can derail the food and nutritional security initiatives of the country, which is already at the brink of a major food and nutrition crisis,” Ahmed said.

    He also said that more such extreme weather events can occur in the future.

    “In a transitional phase, it is next to impossible to predict for the future, but seemingly rising oceanic temperatures and destruction of floral and faunal aquatic lives, more frequent and frightening extreme weather events cannot be ruled out,” he said.

    According to V Vinoj, Assistant Professor, IIT Bhubaneswar, states and the country as whole need to be “climate smart”.

    He suggested specific warning system to be installed to tackle the climate situation better.

    “It is now well-known that anthropogenic climate change will lead to extreme weather patterns. Therefore, it is now imperative that their impacts on life and property are minimised by following locally relevant adaptation measures. In parallel, efforts on mitigation efforts should be hastened so as to slow climate change.

    “A specific warming system taking in to consideration the local vulnerabilities will go a long way in saving lives. In addition, adaptation measures, again taking climate resilience as the central issue will be beneficial in the long run. In summary, our country, states and cities should be climate smart,” he said.

    Incessant rains have claimed at least 28 lives in Uttarakhand in the last two days, razing houses to the ground and leaving many trapped in the debris.

    Nainital was cut off from the rest of the state with three roads leading to the popular tourist spot blocked due to a series of landslides.

    Landslides have blocked the exits in the town and electricity, telecom and internet connectivity in Nainital district was also hit badly.

    The death toll in incidents related to heavy rains, including landslides and flash floods in Kerala rose to 27 on Monday.

    Meanwhile, a red alert has been issued for 11 dams across Kerala as water levels have breached the danger mark in several areas.

    Heavy rains are again expected in the state between October 20 and 24.

  • Over 300 people rescued from flood-affected Uttarakhand: NDRF

    The Kumaon region of the hill state has been severely hit by heavy rains, leading to razing of houses and leaving many trapped in the debris.

  • Uttarakhand rains: Around 100 people stranded in resort, rescue operations are on, says DGP

    By ANI

    RAMNAGAR: Following torrential rains in parts of Uttarakhand, nearly 100 people have been trapped at Lemon Tree Resort located at Ramnagar-Ranikhet route and rescue operations are underway, said Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar on Tuesday.

    He further informed that the water level in the nearby Kosi river rose significantly blocking the route to the resort.

    “Around 100 people were stuck at Lemon Tree Resort located at Ramnagar-Ranikhet route. All of them are safe and process to rescue them is on. Water from Kosi River entered the resort after the river overflowed, blocking the route to the resort,” said the DGP.

    WATCH | River washes away under-construction bridge as rains cause havoc in Uttarakhand

    National weather forecasting agency — India Meteorological Department — has issued a red alert for Uttarakhand with a forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the state and heavy rainfall has been predicted for the next few days.

    An under-construction bridge over the Chalthi River in Champawat got washed away due to a rise in water level today.

    Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take stock of the situation arising due to heavy rains in the state.

    Around 100 people were stuck at Lemon Tree Resort (in pics) located at Ramnagar-Ranikhet route. All of them are safe & process to rescue them is on. Water from Kosi River entered the resort after the river overflowed, blocking the route to the resort: Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar pic.twitter.com/2UUmWJaaYR
    — ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2021
    As a precautionary measure, the Badrinath Char Dham Yatra has been halted and passengers en route to Badrinath Temple were stopped in safe places. According to the Chamoli district administration, 2,500 devotees, who had gone to Badrinath, are still stationed at the Badrinath Temple waiting for the national highway to re-open as it is blocked due to falling debris following incessant rains in the districts.

    Dhami on Monday took a detailed review of the situation.

    Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had a telephonic conversation with Dhami today to provide necessary assistance to the pilgrims from the state, who are stranded there due to natural calamity and rains. 

  • Uttarakhand rains: Around 100 people stranded in resort, rescue ops underway, says DGP

    By ANI

    RAMNAGAR: Following torrential rains in parts of Uttarakhand, nearly 100 people have been trapped at Lemon Tree Resort located at Ramnagar-Ranikhet route and rescue operations are underway, said Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar on Tuesday.

    He further informed that the water level in the nearby Kosi river rose significantly blocking the route to the resort.

    “Around 100 people were stuck at Lemon Tree Resort located at Ramnagar-Ranikhet route. All of them are safe and process to rescue them is on. Water from Kosi River entered the resort after the river overflowed, blocking the route to the resort,” said the DGP.

    WATCH | River washes away under-construction bridge as rains cause havoc in Uttarakhand

    National weather forecasting agency — India Meteorological Department — has issued a red alert for Uttarakhand with a forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the state and heavy rainfall has been predicted for the next few days.

    An under-construction bridge over the Chalthi River in Champawat got washed away due to a rise in water level today.

    Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take stock of the situation arising due to heavy rains in the state.

    Around 100 people were stuck at Lemon Tree Resort (in pics) located at Ramnagar-Ranikhet route. All of them are safe & process to rescue them is on. Water from Kosi River entered the resort after the river overflowed, blocking the route to the resort: Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar pic.twitter.com/2UUmWJaaYR
    — ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2021
    As a precautionary measure, the Badrinath Char Dham Yatra has been halted and passengers en route to Badrinath Temple were stopped in safe places. According to the Chamoli district administration, 2,500 devotees, who had gone to Badrinath, are still stationed at the Badrinath Temple waiting for the national highway to re-open as it is blocked due to falling debris following incessant rains in the districts.

    Dhami on Monday took a detailed review of the situation.

    Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had a telephonic conversation with Dhami today to provide necessary assistance to the pilgrims from the state, who are stranded there due to natural calamity and rains.