19 killed as rain batters north India; Himachal worst affected; record rainfall in Delhi; IMD predicts more showers

Several states in north India witnessed heavy rains in the last 24 hours killing at least 19 people and damaging property worth crores. Himachal Pradesh witnessed massive landslides and bridges and cars being washed away while the national capital saw the highest rainfall in a single day in July since 1982.

New Delhi: Rains battered several parts of northern India killing at least 19 people and leading to landslides damaging houses and roads, massive waterlogging, and bridges being washed away.

Himachal is among the worst affected states so far with at least five people losing their lives as landslides damaged multiple houses and other establishments in the hill state. Three members of a family were killed in a house collapse following a landslide in Shimla district's Kotgarh area, while one death each was reported from Kullu and Chamba districts.

In Rajhana village, on the outskirts of Shimla city, a girl was buried as a huge amount of debris swept by rainwater fell on her house. Officials said an elderly woman was reportedly trapped under debris and rescue operations are underway.

At least three people were killed in Uttarakhand as a car was hit by a landslide and then plunged into Ganga. In the Kashipur area of the state, two houses collapsed killing a couple and injuring their granddaughter, while in Uttarkashi district's Barkot, a policeman engaged in managing traffic on the Yamunotri National Highway died after being hit by a boulder that rolled down a hill.

Rains also pounded the national capital with Delhi recording records highest single-day rainfall for July since 1982. In Jammu and Kashmir, two Army soldiers died after being swept away in flash floods in the Poonch district on Saturday evening. Heavy to very heavy rains lashed several districts of Rajasthan, leading to four deaths in separate incidents on Saturday. A man and a woman died due to lightning in Chittorgarh while two men got drowned in two separate incidents in Sawai Madhopur.

Two people were killed in Jammu and Kashmir after a landslide hit a passenger bus in Doda district, while in Ladakh's Kargil district, a man was killed after his vehicle got crushed under a boulder that rolled down a hillock along the along Leh-Srinagar national highway.

The Indian Metrological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to extremely heavy rain for Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. The IMD said a western disturbance prevailed over northern India, leading to an intense spell of rain on Saturday and Sunday.

"Extremely heavy rainfall over Himachal, Uttarakhand and adjoining areas of Punjab and Haryana today, the 9th of July," the IMD said in its July 9, 1 pm bulletin. "Northwest India: Light/moderate fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely Western Himalayan Region, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Rajasthan during the 09th-10th and Uttar Pradesh during the next 5 days. Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is also very likely in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and adjoining districts of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh on 09th July. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Uttar Pradesh from 10th-13th July," the bulletin read.

Beas in spate in Himachal

Heavy rains pounded Himachal Pradesh, triggering landslides, damaging houses and leaving five people dead, officials said on Sunday. Three members of a family were killed in a house collapse following a landslide due to rains in Kotgarh area of Shimla district.

A landslide also damaged a makeshift house near Kullu town, leaving a woman dead. In another incident, a person was buried alive following a landslide in Katiyan tehsil of Chamba on Saturday night. Thirteen landslides and nine flash floods have been reported in the state in the past 36 hours, according to the state emergency operation centre.

As many as 736 roads have been closed for traffic while 1,743 transformers and 138 water supply schemes were affected on Sunday morning. National Highway 21 is blocked at 6 mile (name of the place). This is the same place where the commuters were struck for almost 24 hours on June 27 last due to a landslide. Mandi-Kullu road via Kamand was also blocked near Ghoda farm. The Manali-Chandigarh also caved in near Manali.

Reports of shops being swept away in Manali, vehicles being washed away in flash floods at Nullah in Kullu, Kinnaur and Chamba and loss to agricultural land have also poured in. Several roads have also been closed in Shimla districts. All the major rivers, including Ravi, Beas, Satluj, Chenab, are in spate and tourists and commuters have been asked to avoid travelling during heavy rains and not to venture out near river bodies.

All the trains between UNESCO heritage Shimla and Kalka track have been cancelled as landslides and falling of trees blocked the railway track at many places. Four tourists had a narrow escape on Saturday night as a stone fell on their vehicle near Chadol on Chandigarh-Manali highway. The tourists were on their way to Manali when the incident occurred and were rescued by the locals.

Thirty college students stranded between Gramphu and Chota Dharra on Sundo-kaza-Gramphu (National Highway 505) following road block due to landslide and flash floods at several places were rescued by the Lahaul and Spiti authorities on Saturday night. Heavy to extremely heavy rains lashed several parts of the state in the past 24 hours.

The local met office had issued a red alert of extremely heavy rains (above 204 mm) in seven districts of the state on July 8 and 9. It has also cautioned of high flash flood risk over a few watersheds in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Shimla, Sirmaur and Mandi districts.

Delhi drenched, Kejriwal cancels Sunday off

Delhi recorded 153 mm of rain in 24 hours ending 8:30 on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, the India Meteorological Department said. An interaction between a western disturbance and monsoonal winds is leading to an intense rainfall spell over northwest India, including Delhi which experienced the season's first "very heavy" rainfall.

The Safdarjung Observatory, the city's primary weather station, recorded 153 mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest since the 24-hour rainfall of 169.9 mm on July 25, 1982, a senior IMD official said. It was the third-highest single-day rainfall for July since 1958, it added.

The heavy rain submerged parks, underpasses, markets and even hospital premises, and caused chaos on the roads. Pictures and videos of commuters wading through knee-deep water flooded social media platforms, raising concerns about the efficiency of the city's drainage infrastructure. Strong winds and showers also caused disruptions in power and internet connectivity in several areas.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal cancelled the Sunday leave of all government officials and instructed them to be on the field. He also said Delhi Cabinet ministers and Mayor Shelly Oberoi will be inspecting the "problem areas" in the city. In a tweet in Hindi, Kejriwal said, "Yesterday, Delhi received 126 mm of rainfall. Fifteen per cent of the total rainfall that Delhi gets every monsoon was received in just 12 hours. People were severely affected due to waterlogging.

"Today, all the ministers of Delhi and the mayor will carry out an inspection of problem areas. Directions have been issued to all officers to be on the ground and their Sunday off has been cancelled," he said.

Uttarakhand: Car hit by landslide falls into Ganga, 3 killed

Three people were killed and three others were missing after a vehicle hit by a landslide fell into the Ganga River in Tehri Garhwal district on Sunday, officials said. The vehicle was carrying 11 people, including the driver, police said, adding five of them were rescued and admitted to a government hospital in Rishikesh. They were on their way to Rishikesh from Kedarnath.

Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local police reached the spot and a rescue and relief operation is underway, Inspector Ritesh Shah, in-charge of Muni Ki Reti Police Station said. Inspector Kavendra Sajwan of the SDRF said three bodies have been fished out from the river while a team of divers is conducting an operation to find the other passengers. The victims were residents of Delhi, Bihar, and Hyderabad, he said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has urged people to be vigilant because of landslides due to heavy rains and overflowing rivers. Due to bad weather and excessive rainfall, incidents of landslides, road closures and overflowing rivers and streams were reported. Instructions were given to all district magistrates and the Disaster Management Department to remain alert, he said.

Monsoon rains swing from 10 per cent deficit to surplus

Rains in many parts of India in the first eight days of July have bridged the rainfall deficit for the entire country, according to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) data. The cumulative rainfall in the monsoon season has reached 243.2 mm, which is 2 per cent above the normal of 239.1 mm.
However, there are large-scale regional variations in rainfall.

While the eastern and northeastern region has recorded a deficiency of 17 per cent (375.3 mm against a normal of 454 mm), north India has witnessed 59 per cent excess rainfall (199.7 mm against a normal of 125.5 per cent), the latest IMD data showed. Central India, where a large number of farmers rely on monsoonal rains, has recorded 264.9 mm rainfall against a normal of 255.1 mm, an excess of 4 per cent. The rainfall deficiency in south India has reduced from 45 per cent to 23 per cent.

Kashmir heaves sigh of relief as water level recedes in Jhelum

People living in the low-lying areas of Kashmir, including Srinagar city, heaved a sigh of relief on Sunday as a flood threat eased due to a dip in the water level in the Jhelum river following improvement in weather conditions, officials in Srinagar said. "The weather is improving and the water level will drop, but those living in low-lying areas should take precautionary measures at least for Sunday. Rains are expected in south Kashmir over the next 24 hours but not of the same intensity as on Saturday. The danger of flood is also receding," Farooq Ahmad Bhat, a meteorologist associated with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), was quoted saying by news agency PTI.