Heavy Rains Delhi, Himachal Pradesh & North India
Heavy rainfall in north India has caused widespread damage, claiming lives and prompting evacuations, as the region faces severe flooding and overwhelmed drainage systems.
Heavy rain across north India has brought the region to its knees, causing widespread damage over the past three days. In Delhi, the Yamuna River breached the danger mark as Haryana released more water into the river from the Hathnikund barrage. Officials said the river breached the warning mark earlier than expected. The authorities have started evacuating people from the low-lying areas of Delhi that are considered vulnerable to flooding. They will be shifted to relief camps and community centers in various parts of the city. The Delhi government has set up 16 control rooms to monitor the flood-prone areas and the water level of the Yamuna. Mr. Arvind Kejriwal addressing a press conference, said, "The last time it rained as much as this was back in 1982 when there was 169 mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period. So, this is unprecedented rainfall and unfortunately, the drainage system in the city is not designed to withstand such extreme rainfall.” All schools in Gurgaon and Delhi remain shut today as heavy rain has led to waterlogging. The Gurgaon administration has also advised corporate houses to work from home today to avoid traffic jams.
The weather office has predicted more heavy downpours for Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. As heavy rain choked almost all of north India, the Army, and National Disaster Response Force have stepped in to intensify the relief and rescue operations in the affected states. Several rivers in the region are in spate. In cities and towns, many roads and buildings remain submerged in knee-deep water. In Himachal Pradesh - worst-hit by the rain furry - there was no let-up in the monsoon fury with landslides and flash floods, triggered by incessant rain, damaging houses, and properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, assuring him all help and support.
Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has appealed to people to stay indoors for the next 24 hours. "I want to request all residents of the state, please stay home for the next 24 hours because very heavy rain is expected. We have started three helplines -- 1100, 1070, and 1077. You can call up these numbers to share information about anyone stuck in the calamity. I am available round the clock to help you," he said in a video message. In Uttarakhand, several roads and highways have been blocked due to incessant rains and landslides, amid reports of water levels in rivers and streams crossing the danger mark. Frightening images of the chaos - vehicles floating like paper boats, muddy waters gushing into residential areas, structures submerged on the banks by the swollen rivers, and land cave-ins - were shared online by people from Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhand. This video was shared on Twitter by Anindya Singh @Anindya_veyron. In the caption, she said, ‘Shared by a friend. Shot today near Haridwar. Spectacular shelf cloud.’ Now it is not confirmed if the video is real or fake but this is called a shelf cloud or sometimes referred to as an 'Arcus cloud.' and it happens when there are very heavy rains.
