AMN
Heavy to moderate rains lash North and Western parts of the India today. In Uttar Pradesh, rain lashed several parts of the state including Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Khiri, Balrampur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Bareilly, Jhansi, Chandauli, Gonda, Saharanpur, Basti, Azamgarh and Bijnore. Twelve persons have lost their lives in rain related incidents at various places in last twenty four hours.
In Allahabad, five labourers were crushed to death when a wall of Eidgah in Jhunsi Kohna area collapsed due to rain. Three labourers working on broad gauge project of railways at Pilibhit were killed due to lightning.
Three persons were buried alive in Qutubsher police area of Saharanpur due to house collapse because of heavy rain. One child was crushed to death under a collapsed wall in Tejpur Pipri village under Phulpur Kotwali of Azamgarh.
Reeling under intense humid conditions in most parts of the state, people have now taken a sigh of relief as rainshowers have turned the sultry weather into a pleasant one. Good amount of rainfall has suddenly made farmers busy who are to start paddy plantation. However the Lucknow region is still waiting for the blessings of rain gods.
The Uttarakhand Cabinet held its meeting in Dehradun today to review relief work being carried out in the areas affected by heavy rains and cloud burst incidents in the State.
Chief Minister Harish Rawat directed the disaster management department authorities to undertake the relief work more speedily and remain alert all the times in view of the forecast of heavy rains by the Met. Department.
Search and rescue operation is going on in the disaster affected areas on war footing.Personnel of NDRF, SDRF, Army, ITBP, SSB and the State Police and Revenue Department teams are engaged in this job.
The death toll in Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts of the State has risen to 18. As many as 13 people have been rescued alive from the debris in the affected villages of Pithoragarh district.
So far 12 dead bodies have been recovered while, about 15 people are still buried under the debris. In Chamoli district 6 people have been killed while 3 others are missing in the affected 4 villages. The Kedarnath yatra is smoothly running, while the blocked Gangotri and Yamunotri routes have now been opened to the vehicular traffic.
Efforts are on by the BRO and PWD to reopen the blocked Badrinath route at some places in Chamoli district. Almost all major rivers in the State are flowing near the danger marks.
In view of this, the authorities have asked the people living in low lying areas to move to safer places. The Met. Center has issued a warning of heavy rainfall at scattered places in all the districts of the State in the next 48 hours.
Southwest monsoon has been declared in Delhi. Director General of IMD, L S Rathore said monsoon has further advanced to remaining parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, most parts of Haryana and Punjab and some parts of East Rajasthan.
In Himachal Pradesh, the rainfall continued throughout the day today bringing normal life out of gear in several parts. The met department has predicted heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places during next 24 hours. The 80 member’s team of NDRF has also arrived in the state from Bhatinda on the request of state government.
They would be deployed in Kangra and Shimla Districts, from where they will be sent to other neighbouring districts in any emergent situation. The Shimla, Kullu and Kinnaur districts in the state are quite sensitive in terms of disaster.
Incessant rains continue to lash Mumbai and its suburbs, affecting normal life and disrupting road and rail traffic.
Mumbai’s suburban train services are running at least 30-45 minutes behind schedule while road traffic is also moving at a snail’s pace. Incidents of water logging at Dadar, Hindmata, Kings Circle, Andheri, Sion and Parel is causing a lot of distress to the locals. In Mumbai’s adjoining Thane district, a common compound wall between two buildings collapsed, crushing at least nine cars.
However, no one was hurt in the incident. A rainfall of 56 mm till 5 PM coupled with a high tide could not dampen the spirit of some Mumbaikars who thronged to Marine Drive and Gateway of India to enjoy the rains. Meanwhile, there is no respite in sight as heavy to very heavy rainfall has been forecast in the next 24 hours for the entire Konkan region, including Mumbai.
Heavy rains also lashed parts of Haryana and Punjab, giving relief to people reeling under sultry conditions. Ludhiana was the wettest place in Punjab with 73.2 mm of rains.