5 min read Last Updated : Aug 16 2023 | 3:16 PM IST
Amid incessant rainfall, which triggered cloudbursts, landslides and roadblocks, over 60 people have died in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Meanwhile, efforts to rescue injured civilians and vehicles from under the rubble continue.
On the other hand, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that isolated but heavy rainfall will persist in Himachal Pradesh for the next two days.
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The weather department said that Uttarakhand and northeast India will also witness isolated but substantial rainfall over the next 4-5 days.
Due to the heavy rainfall, the water levels of Delhi's Yamuna river also crossed the danger mark, for the second time this year.
To assess the situation, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday that he was heading to Kangra, where a dam has overflowed.
"Around 100 people are still trapped in Kangra; rescue operation is underway. Another body has been recovered in Shimla. The state has suffered a loss of around Rs 10,000 crores. It will take around one year for us to redevelop the infrastructure of the state," he said.
Here are the top 10 developments of Himachal rains:
1. Over 800 people have been evacuated from the low-lying areas of Himachal Pradesh's Kangra near the Pong Dam. The evacuation process was a result of increased water level in the Dam due to incessant rainfall.
Himachal Chief Minister Sukhu tweeted on Wednesday, "More than 800 people were evacuated from the low-lying areas of Kangra near the Pong Dam, as their villages became inaccessible due to the elevated water level in the dam reservoir. Evacuation operation is still on as more people are being evacuated."
2. Schools and colleges have been ordered shut in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday due to heavy rainfall.
The state's education department issued an order on Tuesday stating, "Whereas, weather conditions in most parts of Himachal Pradesh are still inclement; & whereas, it is being felt that it would be in the interest of student's safety that school/colleges remain closed for another day. Therefore, considering the above, the government of Himachal Pradesh orders to keep all schools and colleges (government as well as private) closed on August 16, 2023."
3. One person was killed, and five others were rescued after a building collapsed at Helang near Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district late on Tuesday evening. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said they pulled one body from the rubble and search was on to rescue another person buried under the debris.
4. Shimla Deputy Commissioner Aditya Negi, on Wednesday, speaking to news agency PTI, said that rescue efforts were underway at two locations where landslides recently took place — Summer Hill and Krishna Nagar. He said that 13 bodies had been recovered from Shiv Temple in Summer Hill area, and one body and one severed head were found in Krishna Nagar.
5. The monsoon trough, an elongated low-pressure region to the north of its normal position, causing heavy rainfall over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, has gradually begun to move south, the IMD said on Tuesday.
6. On Tuesday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) airlifted 18 army soldiers in a single flight in Shimla.
The Air Force said, "A chinook helicopter of Western Air Command airlifted 18 Indian Army personnel and a 3-ton mini dozer in a single sortie for rescue efforts in areas affected by landslides in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla today."
7. Around five to 10 people are feared trapped after several buildings, including houses and a slaughterhouse, on Tuesday crumbled down in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla in an instance of landslide due to continuous rainfall. Locals in the area were moved to safety.
8. Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu on Tuesday held a meeting with the High Power Committee for natural disaster management. He said that a 157 per cent surge in rainfall over the past four days has resulted in extensive damage across the state.
9. While over 60 people have died in Himachal due to the incessant rainfall of the past few days, according to official estimates, 52 people died due to rain-related incidents in Uttarakhand this monsoon and around 37 sustained injuries.
10. According to Chamoli police in Uttarakhand, the Badrinath National Highway has been blocked at Pipalkoti, Gadora, Navodaya Vidyalaya Pipalkoti, Gulab Koti, Pagal Nala and Vishnuprayag areas of the Chamoli district.
(With agency input)
First Published: Aug 16 2023 | 3:16 PM IST
 "rains in himachal pradesh")
