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| More than 20 deaths due to rains in North India, flood situation in Ravi and Chenab rivers as well |
Heavy rains in the northern states of India for the past three days have disrupted the life system and there is a flood situation in many places, while more than 20 people have died so far.
According to the Indian news agency ANI, at least 22 people have died due to heavy rains in these states in the last three days, while Hindustan Times has reported the death toll as 42.
At least three people were killed in rain-induced landslides in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.
According to news agency PTI, a landslide took place on the Gangotri National Highway after the rain, in which several vehicles were hit.
On the other hand, the news agency ANI says that 4 people died and 10 were injured in this accident. Currently, rescue work is going on at the accident site.
There are also reports of an increase in fatalities due to heavy rains in Uttarakhand. A red alert has been issued in all the districts of the state till July 13. More than normal rains are predicted in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh till Thursday.
Many districts of Himachal Pradesh have been devastated by the rains. There, many bridges and houses have been washed away due to flooding in the rivers.
Heavy rains are also predicted in the Indian states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa. Most of the rivers in North India are in flood.
Delhi, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, and Kashmir continued to receive heavy rains on Sunday as well as on Saturday.
The Indian Meteorological Department on Sunday issued a 'red alert' for these states for the next 24 hours. An orange alert has been issued for western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, while the meteorological department has issued orange and yellow alerts for these areas on Monday.
What caused heavy rain?
Indian Meteorological Department official Naresh Kumar told news agency PTI that the main reason for the heavy rains is a strong 'Western Disturbance'.
Chief of Delhi Meteorological Center Charan Singh told news agency ANI that heavy rain is likely in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and East Rajasthan for the next two days.
On the other hand, the PTI news agency quoted AK Singh, a scientist of the Meteorological Department of Chandigarh, as saying that these days, along with the monsoon, the Western Disturbance is also active in India, which is causing heavy rains.
The Indian Meteorological Department has said in a video released on YouTube that under the influence of the Western Disturbance extending from North Pakistan to the North-Eastern Arabian Sea, it is raining heavily in the western and northern states of India.
According to the department, the monsoon trap is currently extending from Jaisalmer to Mizoram in Rajasthan.
What does a red alert mean?
The Meteorological Department issues a red alert when the weather becomes very bad. In this, the administration has been instructed to take immediate action.
An orange alert is issued when the weather worsens and signals management to 'be prepared'. A yellow alert tells management to be alert.
A flood alert has been issued in the capital Delhi on Tuesday as the water level in the Yamuna River has risen to dangerous levels.
Many areas of Delhi have been flooded due to heavy rain. The bungalows of several ministers in Lutyens Zone, a posh area of the capital, have been submerged in rainwater.
Earlier, the capital Delhi received record heavy rain on Sunday. The news agency PTI said concerning the Indian Meteorological Department that 12.61 cm of rain was recorded in Delhi between 8:30 am and 5:30 am on Sunday.
Considering the bad condition of Delhi, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered to keep all MCD schools closed on Monday.
Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had ordered to cancel Sunday leave of all government employees. Kejriwal also asked all ministers and Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi to visit the affected areas.
Five people killed in Himachal Pradesh
In Himachal Pradesh, five people have been reported killed in this rain disaster. Apart from this, the road has been blocked due to rock falls at various places on the Chandigarh Manali National Highway.
The BBC's Pankaj Sharma reports that the disaster has engulfed many roads, houses, and small bridges in the state.
Road, rail, and air services have been badly affected due to rain in the last 24 hours. Due to this, there was a lot of loss of life and property.
Many houses were also damaged due to the rain and considering the situation, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has ordered the closure of all schools, colleges, and universities in the state for the next two days.
The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for 10 out of 12 districts of the state. During this time heavy rain is likely ie more than 20 cm.
In some videos going viral on social media, which are said to be from Himachal Pradesh, several vehicles can be seen drifting in the fast-flowing water.
According to the Meteorological Department, Gujarat is likely to receive heavy rain till July 12. Heavy rain is expected in Saurashtra, Kutch, and North Gujarat of the state. After July 12, the intensity of rainfall is expected to decrease in the state.
What is its impact on Pakistan?
After the heavy rains in India, the rivers in Ravi and Chenab rivers flooded Pakistan after water was released towards Pakistan due to flooding in the rivers.
River Ravi and DariThe administration is on alert in the districts adjacent to Chenab and relief camps have been set up in various districts given the floods.
According to PDMA, there is a moderate flood in the Chenab River at Head Marala. There is also a low-level flood in the Chenab River at Khanki and Kadirabad.
According to the PDMA statement, India has released 734,418 cusecs of water from Ferozepur into the Sutlej River. The PDMA says that India also released more than 100,000 cusecs of water into the Sutlej River from Harike on Monday.
The Relief Commissioner Punjab has ordered the Deputy Commissioners of Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, and Wahari to complete the advance arrangements as soon as possible.
In his statement, Relief Commissioner Punjab Nabil Javed has ordered all the concerned institutions to keep the staff in the emergency control room alert all the time and all the concerned departments should inform the PDMA about the latest situation.
Relief Commissioner Punjab has directed to ensure the evacuation of citizens from the low-lying areas and to keep the disaster response teams of Rescue 1122 on high alert.
According to the relief commissioner, the availability of machinery and other equipment for the disaster response force should be ensured and there should be ample stock of petrol and diesel for rescue operations.
The Relief Commissioner has directed to ensure the availability of food, clean drinking water in the flood relief camp, and the availability of medicines in the medical campus in abundance while also giving orders to arrange adequate space, food, and medicine for the animals.
It should be noted that the population and crops of the border village of the Shakargarh area of Pakistan have been submerged due to the flood relay coming from India.
According to PDMA, the natural disaster management agency of Pakistan's Punjab province, about 300 people trapped in the floods were rescued.
Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in its statement on Monday that according to Pakistan Commission Indus Water, about 185,000 cusecs of water have been released by India from Raila J Barrage (Ravi River).
According to the NDMA statement, India released 173,000 cusecs last year, while about a third of the released water, i.e. 60,000 cusecs, reached the Jasar (gauging point on the Ravi River) due to which the flow of water increased.
"Considering the previous record, around 65,000 cusecs are likely to arrive in the next 20-24 hours," NDMA said. Because of this, a low flood condition is expected in the Ravi River at Jasar.
On the instructions of NDMA, the concerned administration is monitoring the sensitive areas, especially the Marala headworks on the Chenab River and the Jasar site on the Ravi River, till July 20.