Himachal At Flash Flood Risk, Orange Alert In Odisha. Waters Recede In Delhi, Punjab, Haryana — Updates

Heavy rains threw life out of gear for people in several state of the country including Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. 

Rains lash several parts of the country/Representational Image

Heavy rains and flooding have hit several states of the country from Himachal Pradesh to Odisha and Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh and the national capital Delhi. Torrential rains wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh where several people died and around 70,000 have been evacuated. In Odisha, the India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert in eight districts of the state for the next 24 hours. Heavy rains threw life out of gear for the people in the coastal state. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday inspected preparation for protection from flood in Gonda district. Meanwhile, authorities in Punjab and Haryana started working on resumption of electricity, delivering regular drinking water supply, and repairing the damaged infrastructure after water receded in flood-hit areas. 

Flash Flood Risk In Himachal Pradesh

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Shimla on Sunday (July 16) issued a flash flood warning for several districts in Himachal Pradesh, including Chamba, Kangra, Sirmaour, Shimla, and Kullu. According to the IMD, there is a "moderate to high risk" of flash floods in these areas and neighbouring watersheds until July 17. The warning has been issued as heavy rainfall is expected to continue in the region, posing a potential threat to the safety of residents and infrastructure.

Around 70,000 people have been evacuated from Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district after rains wreaked havoc in the Himalayan state. Foreign tourists from 29 countries were also evacuated by the authorities and 22 people have been reported missing, said Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu. 

“Around 70,000 people have been evacuated so far from Kullu. We have evacuated 687 tourists from 29 countries,” the DGP said. 

“We have found 18 bodies in Kullu and 8 in Shrikhand Mahadev, total of 26 dead bodies have been recovered and 22 people are missing.The search and rescue operation for the missing is underway,” he said, adding “no one is stranded.”

Flood Situation In Assam Remains Grim

The flood situation in Assam continued to be grim as around 1 lakh people were affected by the deluge in 10 districts, PTI cited an official bulletin as informing on Sunday. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) informed that more than 98,800 people remained affected due to the floods in Sonitpur, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Sivasagar and Udalguri districts.

As per PTI's report, Golaghat was the worst hit with nearly 29,000 people affected, followed by Dhemaji (28,000) and Sivasagar (13,500), it added.Nearly 1.08 lakh people were affected by the floods in 12 districts of the state on Saturday.

Orange Alert In Odisha 

The IMD has issued an orange alert in eight districts of the state for the next 24 hours as rains already lash the coastal state. “Under the influence of yesterday’s cyclonic circulation, a low pressure area has been developed over north Odisha adjoining Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand. Widespread rainfall activities are likely to continue for 24 hours,” said Umashankar Das, Scientist at IMD Bhubaneswar. 

The weather department has anticipated “heavy to very heavy rainfall activity particularly over the interior parts of western Odisha.”
 
“We have issued an orange warning for 8 districts and yellow alert for remaining 11-12 districts,” Das added. 

UP CM Inspect Flood Preparation In Gonda 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday reviewed preparations for flood protection in Gonda district. He inspected construction work on the Eli Parsauli embankment and the Elgin Bridge on the Ghaghra river with  Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, about 35 kilometres from the district headquarters, reported PTI. 

Speaking to reporters after inspection, the CM said that the state recieved normal rainfall this year. However, due to the heavy rain in Uttarakhand, the water levels of the Ghaghra and the Rapti rivers have risen.

Floodwaters Recede In Punjab, Haryana

At least 62 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Punjab and Haryana during the recent spell of torrential downpours that lashed parts of northern India, PTI reported officials as saying on Sunday. 32 people have died in Punjab because of rain-related incidents and 30 in neighbouring Haryana, PTI reported citing official data.

Authorities in Punjab and Haryana started working on resumption of electricity, delivering regular drinking water supply, and repairing the damaged infrastructure after water started receding in flood-hit areas. 

Authorities were still engaged in relief work in several places including Sangrur and Patiala districts of Punjab, and plugging breaches in 'dhussi bundhs' (earthen embankments) that have come up along the Ghaggar river.

Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Sunday said schools, which were ordered closed till Sunday, will reopen from July 17.