Torrential rains cripple North India; J&K, Himachal severely affected; Punjab battles 'worst floods in decades'
PTC News Desk: Torrential rain have wreaked havoc in Northern India, throwing daily life out of the gear and causing massive destructions with submerged roads, flood warnings and washed away houses.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has, however, predicted no respite for at least seven days.
Several people died while many others remain missing after massive destruction hit Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which have been witnessing flash floods triggered by cloudbursts over the past few days.
Heavy downpour in the hilly regions have pushed the heavy water flow into the Punjab, triggering flood situation in the region and claiming 29 lives as the state battles worst floods in the decades.
Several parts of Delhi-NCR are likely to get severely affected as the water level in Yamuna has crossed the danger mark, prompting the authorities to issue and alert and putting evacuation measures on stand by.
Key developments:
Over the past two weeks, heavy rain and flash floods have claimed more than 50 lives in Jammu and Kashmir, with the Jammu-Srinagar Highway remaining shut for the eighth straight day. Continuous downpours on Monday triggered land sinking in Rajouri and Samba districts, forcing the evacuation of 19 families. In Doda, around 500 houses have been damaged by the rains and floods.
Uttarakhand has also been severely affected, with at least 10 deaths reported as the state continues to face intense rainfall and repeated cloudbursts. Sixty-nine people are still missing after a series of August cloudbursts caused landslides and flash floods, destroying homes and trapping both people and livestock under debris. A red alert has been issued in the state today.
According to the IMD, heavy rainfall is expected to continue in northwest India—including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana—until September 7.
- With inputs from agencies
