As many as 32 people have died in rain-related incidents across seven states since Wednesday evening, as monsoon mayhem continued in India. This is a disaster of epic proportions! Record single-day rainfall submerged Delhi-NCR, and cloudbursts in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh claimed the lives of at least 14 people, with several others still missing. The latest figures are grim: 10 deaths in Uttarakhand, four in Himachal Pradesh, five in Delhi, two in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, three in Gurugram in Haryana, three in Rajasthan’s Jaipur, and five in Bihar.
This brings the nationwide death toll due to rain-related incidents to a staggering 283, with Wayanad in Kerala being the most affected, suffering 256 fatalities. Just look at the chaos: three massive landslides triggered by incessant rainfall hit the hilly areas near Meppadi in Kerala’s Wayanad on Tuesday. As rescue operations continued on a war footing for the third consecutive day on Thursday, hundreds remained missing.
Here are the latest updates on this rain fury: Delhi-NCR was hammered by relentless rainfall on Wednesday evening, with data from the weather department showing that the national capital received 108 mm of rain—the highest in a single day in July in 14 years! The downpours left several areas of the city inundated, paralyzing traffic movement, and causing wall collapses. Visuals showed several underpasses in Delhi-NCR submerged, with traffic especially disrupted on roads leading to Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad.
Heavy rainfall triggered devastating cloudbursts in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, killing at least 14 people and leaving scores missing. The Met Department has forecast more rainfall in the next five days in both hill states, even as rescue operations continue. Cloudbursts were reported in Samej Khud (nallah) in the Rampur subdivision of Shimla and Mandi districts, leaving at least four people dead and about 52 missing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is closely monitoring the situation in Himachal Pradesh and has ensured all possible assistance is provided, according to news agency ANI. Five people have died in lightning strikes in two Bihar districts since Wednesday evening, reports news agency PTI, citing an official statement by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has condoled the loss of lives and announced a financial compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the victims, urging citizens to follow advisories issued by the Disaster Management Department.
Over 250 people have been killed in massive landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad, with rescue operations ongoing in search of the missing. The Indian Army has rescued nearly 1,000 people, with 220 still missing. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that rescued people are being temporarily shifted to camps and rehabilitation work will be undertaken at the earliest.
Heavy rainfall triggered flash floods in the Dachan area of Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. Cloudbursts were reported in the upper reaches of the region, leading to massive discharges of water that damaged bridges and buildings close to the drains. Rivers in Rajouri district overflowed, causing severe waterlogging on roads. A woman, her niece, and another man drowned after rainwater entered the basement of their house in Jaipur on Thursday morning. The bodies were recovered after hours of rescue operations, which included using mud pumps to drain the water. Police said the passage to the basement was narrow and deep.
The IMD on Thursday reported that India recorded nine percent more rainfall than normal in July, with the central part of the country receiving 33 percent excess rain. However, significant rainfall deficits were observed in east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, and parts of the Northeast. The IMD further predicted above-normal rainfall in August and September, with a high chance of favorable La Nina conditions developing by the end of August. Rainfall over India in these months is expected to be 106 percent of the long-period average of 422.8 mm. Since June 1, India has recorded 453.8 mm of rain, an excess of two percent due to the wetter-than-normal July.
According to the latest IMD bulletin, the seven states reporting rain-related deaths will see no immediate relief. Heavy rain has been forecast for Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Bihar, among others, until August 7. This is an absolute catastrophe!
