In Uttarakhand, over 900 people are stranded with swollen rivers washing away roads and bridges.
New Delhi:
Overflowing rivers, caved roads, damaged houses, overturned vehicles - these are the visuals from Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh as the two states witness heavy rainfall. Fifteen people have died in Uttarakhand, and three in a landslide in Mandi.
- Uttarakhand's Dehradun has been witnessing very heavy rainfall since Monday night, leaving several roads, houses and shops damaged in Tapovan, Sahastradhara and the IT Park area. At least 15 people have been killed, 16 have gone missing, and over 900 are stranded with swollen rivers washing away roads and bridges. The maximum number of deaths, that is 13, has been reported from Dehradun. One each died in Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar.
- A bridge near Uttaranchal University in the Prem Nagar area in Dehradun collapsed after flash floods. Connectivity to the hostel side of the area has been completely cut off. Telephone lines have also suffered damage, and several electricity poles have fallen. Restoration work is underway to resume power and communication services.
- Explaining the cause behind this sudden spell of rain, Dr Chander Singh Tomar, Head of India Meteorological Centre, Dehradun, told NDTV, "Interaction between easterlies (winds that blow from east to west) and westerlies (winds that blow from west to east) or air masses over the region leads to heavy precipitation."
- The weather expert called it "usual" and said this spell was expected, and an "orange alert" was issued and will remain in place till September 17, 8:30 am. Light to moderate rain, along with thunderstorms, is expected at some places, and isolated heavy rainfall is also expected today.
- Uttarakhand has witnessed 1375.9 mm of rainfall between September 1 and 16, against the normal 1108.8 mm, that is 24 per cent surplus.
- The monsoon fury has impacted Himachal Pradesh too. Heavy rain on Monday night triggered floods and landslides, killing a family of three as debris from an adjoining cliff slid onto their house, causing it to collapse, in the Mandi district on Tuesday morning. Several vehicles have been swept away, with shops suffering damage.
- In Himachal Pradesh, 417 people have died since the start of the monsoon on June 20, 45 are reported to be missing, and 477 have been injured. Between September 1 and 16, Himachal Pradesh received 46 per cent surplus rainfall. A yellow alert for heavy rain in five districts of Himachal is in place.
- A five-storey building in Panthaghati, Shimla, was evacuated amid the threat of a landslide. A landslide on Tuesday buried dozens of vehicles under debris, disrupting traffic movement and leading to the closure of National Highway 5, which connects Firozpur in Punjab to the Sino-Indian border at Shipki La.
- Dharampur Bus Stand suffered severe damage, with several buses being swept away. The visuals from the ground show damaged buses at the Dharampur bus stand in Mandi district after heavy overnight rain on Tuesday.
- Himachal Pradesh has reportedly witnessed 46 cloudbursts, 97 flash floods and 140 landslides so far this year. With 655 roads, including stretches of three national highways closed, 1,250 power transformers and 160 water supply schemes already disrupted, the latest bout of showers exacerbated the situation.
