Heavy to very heavy rain lash parts of India; doctor killed in Uttarakhand
Heavy to very heavy rain lashed parts of India on Saturday, with Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh among the worst-hit as landslides blocked roads and disrupted public life.
According to the India Meteorological Department, very heavy rainfall was recorded over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, East Uttar Pradesh and Meghalaya, while heavy rainfall was recorded over West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
In Uttarakhand, heavy rainfall triggered landslides, blocking 120 roads, including three national highways, while around 100 pilgrims were escorted to safety across a washed-out stretch of the Yamunotri National Highway after the route remained cut off for two days. According to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), a massive accumulation of debris completely blocked the highway at Syanachatti in Uttarkashi district on Thursday after incessant rain triggered a landslide that washed away nearly 100 metres of the road.
Rescue personnel secured a rope along an alternative path and carefully guided the stranded travellers across one by one.
The national highway had been blocked for two days, the officials said, adding that repair work is underway but is being hampered by continuous rain and fresh debris and stones falling from the hillside.
In Chamoli distirct, a doctor was killed when he was inspecting construction work of a health centre, which was damaged by a landslide and flash floods on June 28.
Dr. Naveen Dimri (45), a resident of Devaldhar village in Chamoli’s Gopeshwar, was posted as the in-charge of the Narayanbagad Primary Health Centre.
According to police, the accident occurred in the afternoon on the premises of the health centre when Dr. Dimri was inspecting construction work undertaken to repair damage caused by a landslide and flash floods on June 28.
In Himachal, moderate to heavy rains lashed the state, causing a landslide in Shimla, the collapse of a Bailey bridge in Sangla, and floodwater submerging a single-storeyed house in Kinnaur district.
In Kinnaur district, incessant heavy rainfall swelled the Lippa stream, submerging a single-storeyed house near the Lippa bus stand, while a flood threat loomed large over several houses.
The Met office has issued a yellow alert for moderate to heavy rains in isolated places in Shimla, Kullu, Chamba, Bilaspur and Sirmour districts for Saturday.
In the national capital, Delhi, the minimum temperature rose marginally, amidst forecast of light rain.
Safdarjung station, representative of the city’s weather, recorded a minimum temperature of 26.6 degrees Celsius, 0.7 degree below the normal and with a 0.8-degree increase from a day before.
Among other weather stations, Palam recorded a low of 24.5 degrees Celsius, a 0.1-degree increase from a day before; Lodhi Road 26.2 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degree more than Friday’s minimum; Ridge and Ayanagar 23.5 degrees and 26 degrees Celsius respectively, which are 0.6 and 1.4 degrees lower than Friday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has not issued any alerts for Delhi over the coming days.
In Uttar Pradesh, most parts of the state received normal rainfall, while 10 districts recorded excess rainfall and 21 districts remained rain-free.
According to the latest rainfall distribution chart issued by the Meteorological Centre, Lucknow, no district has reported large excess or large deficient rainfall so far this season. The rainfall distribution indicates that a majority of districts have received near-normal monsoon precipitation, although rainfall deficits persist across 21 districts. The IMD has forecast rain and thundershowers at a few places across Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, while heavy rainfall is very likely at isolated places in eastern Uttar Pradesh
In Rajasthan, parts of the state witnessed gusty winds and light to moderate rainfall at isolated places over 24 hours, according to the daily weather update issued here.
Rajgarh/Sadulpur in Churu district recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 55 mm during the period, the report said.
The highest temperature in the state was recorded at 42 degrees Celsius in Sri Ganganagar, while the lowest was 21 degrees Celsius in Sirohi.
The weather department said intermittent rainfall activity and winds provided relief in some areas.
In landslide-hit Kerala, search operations continued for the fifth day at the tunnel project site in Kalladi to locate the remaining missing person, a Himachal Pradesh native. Officials said that search operation will continue on July 12.
The landslide, which occurred on July 7 at the site of the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi tunnel project intended to connect Wayanad and Kozhikode districts, claimed seven lives, with one person still missing.
