Delhi, Seven States Put On High Alert As Severe Floods Cripple Daily Life. Latest Developments

While Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana battle flooding caused by rivers in spate, parts of Bihar and Maharashtra are on alert for heavy rainfall.

Floodwater due to the swollen Yamuna river in Noida, Friday, July 14, 2023. ( Image Source :PTI )

While the monsoon this year brought relief from simmering heat, in a matter of days, several states like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh as well as the national capital Delhi bore the brunt of heavy downpours that caused rivers to overflow resulting in flooding. Parts of Delhi have been inundated after the Yamuna breached its banks following days of heavy rains, prompting the evacuation of thousands from low-lying areas. Himachal Pradesh and Assam are among the states that have witnessed the worst impact of incessant downpours while the dramatic visuals of landslides, structural damage, and more surfaced from hill states.

The Indian Air Force, involved in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations in the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, carried out a total of 40 sorties in the last 48 hours. In this operation, 126 people were rescued and 17 tons of relief materials were distributed in various areas.

Here are the latest developments on the flood situation across India:

Delhi Floods

Parts of Delhi received light rainfall on Friday afternoon causing concern over the flooding over the national capital. The rain was seen in the Laxmi Nagar area and a few areas in east Delhi. Other places, including Lutyens' Delhi, witnessed a drizzle. Floodwaters of the overflowing Yamuna reached the entrance of the Supreme Court today in Central Delhi after the regulator of the Delhi Irrigation and Flood Control Department at Indraprastha suffered damage Thursday evening.  

#WATCH Flood situation in Delhi | Heavy rainfall & increase in Yamuna river's water level triggers waterlogging in parts of Delhi; visuals from near Supreme Court. pic.twitter.com/45SViam4lQ

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2023

After breaching a 45-year record, water levels in the Yamuna came down to 208.25 metres at 3 pm on Friday while several key areas in the city remained inundated. The Yamuna in Delhi swelled to 207.71 metres on Wednesday reaching its all-time record of 207.49 metres set in 1978. Central Water Commission (CWC) data informed that the water level stood at 208.57 metres in the early hours of Friday and fell marginally to 208.48 metres at 5 am, news agency PTI reported. The water level in the Yamuna was 208.42 metres at 8 am, 208.38 metres at 10 am and 208.35 metres at 11 am. It went down further to 208.27 metres at 1 pm and 208.25 metres at 3 pm.

#WATCH | Kashmere Gate area in Delhi continues to remain flooded. Drone visuals show extent of the situation there. pic.twitter.com/o90JVQFrVf

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2023

Notably, the weather office has issued a 'yellow' alert for moderate rain and thundershowers on Saturday in the national capital.

Elaborating on the flooding situation, Delhi Minister Atishi told news agency ANI: "The water is not accumulating due to rain. The areas that saw this situation yesterday have all their drains full. Water from ITO flows into the drains of Old Delhi but due to flooding around Red Fort all the drains of Old Delhi are full. Secondly, large amounts of water reached Delhi from Hathnikund - in a way, Delhi became a reservoir."

She said the AAP government is working 24/7 with the full support of NDRF and the Army's Engineering Wing. Atishi added that it will take 10-12 hours for the situation to be normal again. 

In the first-ever deaths in the current flooding, three boys drowned in a ditch at a metro construction site while taking a bath in floodwaters in northwest Delhi's Mukundpur Chowk area on Friday, news agency PTI reported citing officials.

Punjab & Haryana Floods

Punjab and Haryana were lashed by heavy rains from Saturday to Monday causing flooding in 14 districts in the AAP-ruled state and 10 in the latter. A total of 39 people have died in rain-related incidents in both states with 19 dead in Punjab and 20 in Haryana, PTI reported citing government data. 

Authorities are using pumps to drain out water from flood-affected areas while dry rations and drinking water are being distributed to stranded residents as relief operations gathered pace on Friday.

Over 19,000 people were shifted to safety from waterlogged localities in various flood-hit districts of Punjab while 3,674 have been evacuated in Haryana, PTI reported officials as informing.

As per PTI's report, floodwaters receded in areas like Fatehgarh Sahib but several villages of the Moonak sub-division in Sangrur have been inundated because the Ghaggar river is in spate, officials said. In Ludhiana, polluted water of the Buddha nullah entered several colonies such as Tajpur Road, Dhoka Mohalla, Dharm Pura, Shiv Puri, Shivaji Nagar and Kashmir Nagar.

As for Haryana, Ambala, Fatehabad, Faridabad, Panchkula, Jhajjar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat and Yamunanagar are among the worst-hit districts with 854 villages affected by the floods. 1,819 people are living in 12 relief camps set up in the state with 126 houses fully damaged, and 106 sustaining partial damage, officials told PTI.

In the last 24 hrs, major operations have been carried out by IAF towards flood-affected areas of Haryana. Nihara, Allaudin Majra, Bishangarh, Segta, Bhunni, Mumni, Segti, and Jansui villages were provided with relief materials consisting of rations, tarpaulin sheets, fresh food and water bottles by M-17 helicopters, ANI reported.

Airwarriors and all requisite assets such as M-17 and Chinook Helicopters and An-32 and C-130 Transport Aircraft remain on standby to undertake required operations for flood relief, as per the IAF.

Himachal Pradesh Floods

Heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides in many parts of Himachal, blocking roads and damaging property. More than 790 roads are blocked in the state and 1,468 transformers and 963 water supply schemes have been impacted, the state emergency operations centre informed. A total of 91 persons have died due to rain-related incidents and road accidents since the monsoon arrived on June 24 till July 13. Meanwhile, bodies of people killed in flash floods are being recovered in Kullu and Mandi districts, PTI reported.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday approved the advance release of the second installment of Central share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) amounting to Rs 180.40 crores for 2023-24 as interim relief to Himachal Pradesh, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed. To support the affected people, the Union Government released first installment of Central share of Rs 180.40 crores to Himachal on July 10, 2023, for relief measures of immediate nature.

The release of funds will help State Government to undertake relief measures for the affected people during the current Monsoon season, the MHA stated.

Uttarakhand Floods

The water level of Kali River in Uttarakhand has crossed the danger mark of 889.00 and is flowing at 889.30 meters today. The District Disaster Management Officer of Pithoragarh asked management to keep a watch on security and safety as the water level may increase with the rise in water flow. The state officials were instructed to shift people living in low-lying areas to safe spaces.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand | The water level of Kali River has crossed the danger mark of 889.00 and is flowing at 889.30 meters, today.

The District Disaster Management Officer of Pithoragarh directed management to keep a tab on security and safety as the water level may increase… pic.twitter.com/i7xRCmXttj

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 14, 2023

Many routes in Uttarakhand, including national highways, have been closed due to landslides following incessant rains, which has halted the normal life of locals besides the Chardham Yatra. The Badrinath National Highway in the Chamoli district is closed at five places between Chamoli and Joshimath due to landslides, PTI reported. As per PTI's report, the State Emergency Operation Center informed that the Yamunotri National Highway is blocked due to landslides at Dharasu and Kalyani, while the Gangotri Highway is also closed between Pakodanala and Dharali due to debris. 

Chamoli Additional District Information Officer Ravindra Negi said that the pilgrims visiting Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib have been kept at safe places in Gauchar, Karnprayag, and Nandprayag.

Assam Floods

The flood situation in Assam is reported to have worsened today with over 67,000 persons affected in 17 districts as the water level of the major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, is flowing above the danger level at several places.

A population of 67,689 have been affected as against the previous day's 41,000 but no death was reported during the day and the toll remained at seven in the current wave of floods, according to a bulletin of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), PTI reported.

The number of affected districts has increased to 17 as compared to the previous day's 10. The new additions are Baksa, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpuyt, Majuliu, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Tamulpur, and Tinsukia.

The rivers flowing above the danger mark are the Brahmaputra at Dhubri and Tezpur, Beki, Buridihing, and the Sankosh at Golakganj.

The districts in Western Assam bordering Bhutan are put on an alert after excess water was released early morning.

Waterlogging was seen on National Highway 37 in Jorabat along the Assam-Meghalaya border after heavy rainfall in the region.

#WATCH | Severe waterlogging on National Highway 37 in Jorabat, along the Assam-Meghalaya border following heavy rainfall in the region. pic.twitter.com/egzFZ6jgZK

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2023

Meanwhile, authorities have set up 78 relief camps and distribution centres with 4,531 inmates taking shelter in the camps. A crop area of 2,770 hectares is reported to have been damaged while 49,535 animals were also affected.

Uttar Pradesh Floods

Massive flooding was seen in Green Beauty Farms, Sector 135 of Noida as River Yamuna overflowed and flooded nearby areas. Drone visuals show people wading through waist-deep water and traffic snarl on the other end. Several parts of Noida are flooded due to the rise in the water level of river Yamuna.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Drone visuals show people wading through waist-deep water and traffic snarl on the other end as Green Beauty Farms in Sector 135 of Noida reels under floods.

Several parts of Noida are flooded due to the rise in the water level of river Yamuna. pic.twitter.com/NumWToblDK

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 14, 2023

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath conducted an aerial survey to take stock of the situation in the flood-affected areas in Saharanpur. He distributed relief material among the flood-affected people at a relief camp there and said: "I came here with the cabinet minister Swatantra Dev Singh to look into the arrangements made by the administration for evacuation and relief."

"We will survey the entire district and examine the relief work happening in the area... I assure you that a relief kit will be provided to all flood victims," ANI quoted him as saying.

Bihar Waterlogging & Orange Alert

Waterlogging was seen on the premises of the Bihar Legislative Assembly in Patna following heavy rainfall in the city.

#WATCH | Waterlogging on the premises of Bihar Legislative Assembly in Patna following heavy rainfall in the city. pic.twitter.com/UuQDI5EyHT

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2023

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh today and issued an orange alert in the two states. The weather department warned of localised flooding and advised citizens to avoid flood-prone zone and stay away from vulnerable structures.

#OrangeAlert: #UttarPradesh & #Bihar likely to get heavy to very heavy rainfall (115.6 to 204.4 mm) on 14th July.

Stay safe! #WeatherAlert #HeavyRainfallAlert #Monsoon2023 #UPRain @moesgoi@DDNewslive@airnewsalerts@ndmaindia@CentreLucknow@imd_patna pic.twitter.com/vvuBxjgVhY

Maharashtra: Yellow Alert In Districts

Moderate to heavy rains started lashing Mumbai in the morning in a strong comeback after almost a week of subdued rainfall activity. The intensity of rainfall was more in the city as compared to its suburbs, the officials said, as per PTI. As Mumbai continued to receive showers, some parts of the city witnessed waterlogging causing the movement of vehicles on roads to slow down.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a “yellow” alert for Mumbai forecasting heavy rainfall. 

Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, and Dhule are among other districts that were placed on Yellow alert for today.

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