Himachal cloudburst kills 7, Beas river swells again; landslides hit Uttarakhand

Seven people were killed after a cloudburst hit a village in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan, an official said.

The incident occurred at Jadon village late on Sunday night. Six people were rescued, Solan Divisional Commissioner Manmohan Sharma said.

In Shimla, 25 to 30 people were feared to be buried under debris at a Shiva temple in Summerhill area. According to the police, there were nearly 50 people who had come to worship at the temple amid heavy rainfall.

A fire brigade team was present at the spot. The police and a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team were involved in rescue operations.

These incidents came as heavy rainfall continued to pound Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring Uttarakhand in the past 24 hours, with landslides blocking key roads, washing away bridges, forcing the closure of educational institutions and causing water levels of rivers to swell.

In Himachal Pradesh, a conductor of a private bus suffered injuries after a tree got uprooted and fell on a vehicle in Shimla.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that all schools and colleges in the state would be shut till August 14 (Monday) due to the incessant rains.

A total of 621 roads, including a maximum of 236 in Mandi, 59 in Shimla and 40 in Bilaspur district are currently closed for vehicular traffic, according to the state emergency operation centre.

A key stretch of the Shimla-Kalka National Highway connecting Shimla and Chandigarh has been affected by recurring landslides over the past two weeks, officials said.

Incessant rains for the past 48 hours have caused havoc in all parts of the Hamirpur district, leading to a spate in the Beas river and its tributaries. The worst affected are the areas where the nullahs of Maan and Kunah are located, officials said.

The rains and landslides have caused widespread damage to crops, fertile land and official and private buildings in all parts of Hamirpur. The district administration has warned people not to venture out and avoid going near the Beas river bank and nullahs.

Since the monsoon’s onset in Himachal Pradesh on June 24, the hill state has so far suffered losses to the tune of Rs 7,020 crore and 257 people have died in rain-related incidents and road accidents, the emergency operation centre said.

The weather office has issued a yellow warning of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places in the state from August 14 to 17 and predicted a wet spell in the state till August 19.

UTTARAKHAND
In Uttarakhand, landslides triggered by incessant rains have blocked traffic on various roads, including national highways, affecting the movement of people, officials said.

Rishikesh-Chamba National Highway was blocked for traffic due to a landslide near Kunjapuri Bagardhar in Tehri while the movement of heavy vehicles was stopped on Rishikesh-Devprayag-Srinagar National Highways at Sakhnidhar.

The Ganga river in Haridwar was flowing above the danger mark at 294.90 metres.

Continuous rainfall in Chamoli district since Sunday evening caused noticeable damage in the Tharali and Nanda Nagar Ghat areas. The water levels of the Pindar and Nandakini rivers in Chamoli have seen a sharp increase, putting the surrounding areas at risk.

Although no human casualties have been reported, extensive property damage has occurred. A motor bridge and a suspension bridge were washed away late at night.

The continuous downpour has also increased the water level of the Mandakini river in the Nanda Nagar Ghat area. As a result, residents have been advised to vacate their homes for safer locations.

Heavy rainfall in Kotdwar led to a rise in water levels in Ho river and the Malan Sukhrou river and the washing away of several houses located along the banks of these rivers. Police forces and a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team have been deployed to evacuate individuals residing in high-risk areas to safety.

A red alert for heavy rains on Monday has been sounded in six districts of the state, including Dehradun and Nainital, by the meteorological department. The hill state has been reeling under incessant monsoon showers that have left 60 people dead and 17 missing while affecting normal life.

Intense to very heavy spells of rain with thunder and lightning at isolated places have been forecast for the two days in Tehri, Dehradun, Pauri, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts where the red alert has been sounded, while Haridwar district is under orange alert, officials said.

The government has directed their district magistrates and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to remain alert to assist the people in case of any emergency.

Authorities in Dehradun and Champawat have ordered the closure of schools in the two districts on Monday.

WEATHER ELSEWHERE
On August 14, heavy rainfall with thunderstorms is predicted at isolated places over Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, west Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.

Heavy rainfall is also very likely to prevail over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Odisha, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands on August 15, 16 and 17.

Parts of Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand are very likely to witness heavy rainfall on August 16 and August 17.

The weather office also predicted subdued rainfall activity over parts of northwest, central, west and south India during the next seven days.