Ishika Roy, Pune
North India is caught in the midst of torrential rainfall and deluge, claiming 34 lives in the last three days, out of which 15 took place over the duration of just a day. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a red alert over the next few days in places such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir.
Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing flash floods and landslides, with residential and business districts submerged in knee-deep water, vehicles floating like paper boats, shops, and makeshift houses caught in the deluge, damaging property worth almost 4,000 crores and paralyzing normal day-to-day life. Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, the Chief Minister of the state, has released a video message requesting the citizens to stay in their homes for the next 24 hours and sharing three helplines – 1100, 1070, and 1077.
“So far, more than 20 people have lost their lives majorly due to road accidents and similar reasons. The loss of lives due to landslides and flash floods is not as high. Over 1,300 roads, including major national highways, district, and link roads in the state, are affected. We are on high alert for the next two days,” Himachal Pradesh Minister Jagat Singh Negi told NDTV.
Heavy rain has flooded the National Capital Region of Delhi, waterlogging several roads and halting vehicle movement. The water level of Yamuna has risen above normal levels and entered Indri in Haryana’s Karnal district. A rescue operation undertaken by SDRF is going on. The Mandi-Kullu national highway has also been closed due to recurrent landslides between Mandi and Pandoh. However, restoration work is yet to begin due to continuous rainfall and rocks tumbling down and blocking the way. Delhi and Gurgaon have shut down schools on account of heavy rain and waterlogging, and the administration has urged corporates to opt for remote work for their employees. To keep an eye on flood-prone areas, sixteen control rooms have been set up by the Delhi government following Haryana’s release of huge volumes of water into the Yamuna River from the Hathnikund barrage.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting to review the situation and take stock of any potential flooding. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand’s Chief Ministers, asking about the on-ground scenario and the extent to which damages across the states have occurred. So far, 39 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed across four states to control the flooding and help the citizens.