Monsoon Update: Severe Flooding and Damage Across India

The monsoon is intensely active across most parts of the country. On Thursday (August 1), a cloudburst in Kishtwar, Jammu, led to severe flooding. Earlier, late at night, cloudbursts occurred in four places in Himachal Pradesh. This resulted in several homes being washed away in the Samej Khadd area of Rampur. Two bodies have been recovered, and 52 people are missing. NDRF and SDRF teams are engaged in rescue operations. In Malana, a dam of a power project broke after the Parvati River’s water levels rose. Heavy damage has also been reported in Kullu and Mandi.

In Uttarakhand, cloudbursts occurred in Ghansali, Tehri Garhwal, on Wednesday night, resulting in two fatalities and one injury. In Kedarnath, a cloudburst caused a 30-meter stretch of road on the travel route to be washed away into the Mandakini River. The pilgrimage has been halted, leaving over 200 people stranded.

Meanwhile, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, three people, including a child, drowned in a basement of a house due to flooding. Heavy rainfall on Wednesday night caused a wall collapse, trapping 25 people in two houses. During their attempt to escape, three individuals drowned in the basement filled with water.

Five-Story Building Collapses into River in Manali, Himachal Pradesh

In Manali, Himachal Pradesh, a five-story building on the Manikaran Road, which housed a vegetable market, collapsed into the Beas River. The foundation of the building weakened due to rising water levels in the river following recent rainfall. As a result, the building fell into the river early on Thursday morning.

Heavy Rain Continues in Dharamshala; Schools Closed for Two Days

Heavy rainfall is ongoing in parts of Dharamshala district. According to the meteorological department, rain is expected to continue in the state for the next four to five days. Following the heavy rain, Collector Torul S. Ravish has declared a two-day holiday for all educational institutions in Kullu on August 1 and 2.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu held a meeting with officials in Shimla to review the search and rescue operations in the Samej Khadd area of Rampur. Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap reported that teams from NDRF, CISF, and Home Guards are jointly conducting the rescue operations. A list of 36 missing persons has been prepared and efforts are underway to locate them.

School Closures in Delhi and Karnataka; Flooding in Various Areas

Due to a red alert for heavy rainfall, schools and colleges in some districts of Delhi and Karnataka have been closed for Thursday, August 1. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rain alert for 24 states. In Karnataka, an orange alert has led to the closure of schools and colleges for the day.

Panchkula-Haridwar National Highway Collapses

In Yamunanagar, Haryana, the Panchkula-Haridwar National Highway has collapsed near the village of Mandebar following heavy rainfall. A truck passing through the area fell into the resulting pit, but the driver was unharmed.

Flooding in Gurugram and Other Areas

Gurugram has experienced significant flooding. During the previous night, a tree fell near the IFFCO Chowk metro station due to the rain, and high-tension wires fell into the water below, causing electric shock deaths of three people who were passing through the water.

Flooding at Key Locations

The Parliament, Supreme Court, AIIMS, Lutyens’ Delhi, Bharat Mandapam, India Gate-Ring Road Tunnel, and Pragati Maidan have been submerged. Several trees have fallen, and a journey that typically takes 20 minutes has extended to over 4.5 hours.

Due to poor weather, 10 flights were diverted between 7:30 and 8:00 PM. Eight flights were redirected to Jaipur and two to Lucknow. The weather department has issued a red alert for Delhi for the next 24 hours.

LG has advised officials to remain alert due to waterlogging in several areas. An building has collapsed in the Sabzi Mandi area of North Delhi. In Mayur Vihar Phase 3, a woman and child were swept away in a drain. Additionally, the Old Rajendra Nagar area, previously in the news for basement flooding, has once again experienced significant water accumulation.

Chaos Erupts as Mandakini River Floods in Uttarakhand

Following a cloudburst, the Mandakini River overflowed, creating chaotic conditions on the roads from Gaurikund to Sonprayag. As the water level of the Mandakini River rose, hotels in Sonprayag and Gaurikund were evacuated. According to Rudraprayag’s District Magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar, the pilgrimage has been halted, and people are being moved to safer locations.

Kerala Landslide Tragedy: 276 Dead, 240 Missing

In Wayanad, Kerala, heavy rainfall caused landslides late Monday night (July 29) at four different locations. Between 2 AM and 6 AM, the landslides swept away four villages. The death toll has risen to 276, with 131 individuals hospitalized and 240 people reported missing. Rescue operations are ongoing, with teams from the Army, Air Force, SDRF, and NDRF on the ground.

Flooding Hits Uttar Pradesh Assembly

After a long wait, Uttar Pradesh experienced heavy rainfall. In Lucknow, the downpour was so intense that water entered the state assembly. In Prayagraj, heavy rain led to flooding at the George Town police station. In Agra, a car collided with a scooter carrying a mother and her child. Both were thrown into a drain, resulting in the woman’s death by drowning. The child was rescued.

Heavy Rainfall Expected in 21 States on August 2

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heavy to very heavy rainfall (20 cm) is expected on August 2 in East Madhya Pradesh and the Konkan-Goa region. An alert for heavy rainfall (more than 12 cm) has been issued for Western Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, coastal and interior Karnataka, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Eastern Rajasthan, West Bengal, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Gujarat, and Kerala.

Flooding and Rainfall Shortages

Half of the monsoon quota has been met. While Kerala and Assam are grappling with severe flooding, 25% of the country still faces rainfall shortages. According to IMD data, July saw 9% more rainfall than the average (306.6 mm compared to the normal 280.5 mm), and from June 1 to now, 453.8 mm of rain has been recorded compared to the normal 445.8 mm.

Rainfall has been significantly lower in parts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal’s Ganges delta, and some northeastern regions. Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir have experienced 35% to 45% less rainfall. IMD reports that the eastern and northeastern states have recorded the second-highest temperatures for July since 1901.