Amidst constant rains and floods, Himachal Pradesh on red alert; IMD issues advisory

New Delhi (India) July 2: The monsoon rains have continued to cause devastation in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand causing landslides, floods and extensive devastation. Heavy rainfall, cloudbursts and overflowing rivers are bringing numerous areas dangerously close to disaster and both states are still on high alert.

Continuous rains in Uttarakhand's hill districts have caused flooding, particularly in Rudraprayag where the Alaknanda River has risen more than 20 meters. It has engulfed sidewalks, ghats and even a 15-foot-tall Shiv idol next to the Belni bridge. The Mandakini River and other tributaries are also dangerously high and have damaged the residential areas.

A red alert has been issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for Himachal Pradesh with a warning of ongoing heavy rainfall in ten districts. Authorities are worried about landslides and flash floods because there has already been significant waterlogging and property damage in a number of regions.

According to the IMD, the next 24 hours will see heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Mandi, Kangra, Sirmaur and Solan. It is also anticipated that Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Shimla, Kullu and Chamba would experience isolated and intense rainfall until Monday night.

Authorities in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have advised citizens to stay home, stay away from riverbanks and closely abide by official recommendations in light of the weather report. Rescue and relief efforts are still underway in the affected districts.

Along the Mandi-Manali part of the important Chandigarh-Manali route, numerous landslides have been recorded, causing traffic jams and preventing access to a number of locations. On Tuesday, authorities issued an order to close all of Mandi's educational institutions due to safety concerns. The districts of Kangra, Sirmaur, and Solan have also closed their schools in response to similar alerts.

Officials say a cloudburst in Mandi has left nine people missing and one person reported dead. Under the close supervision of top authorities, SDRF and NDRF units are actively carrying out rescue operations, according to DIG Soumya Sambasivan, Central Range, Mandi. Authorities have suspended travel in places that are vulnerable and issued strong travel advice because of the current circumstances.

Last week, the weather department warned that most of the country would likely see more rainfall than usual in July. It also advised residents of central India, Uttarakhand and Haryana to be on guard for flooding.

Monday morning brought thunderstorms, gusty winds and light to moderate rainfall to Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region (NCR). The rain helped to improve the quality of the air and lowered the temperature by a few degrees.

Aadrika Tayal