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Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma on Monday urged people to take caution over the next 72 hours and stay away from venturing near Yamuna and Hindon rivers, saying activities like taking selfies can turn fatal. Verma said the level of water in Yamuna has come down in the past two days but the weather department has issued an alert for the next 72 hours predicting rain in mountains in the north and in the adjoining state of Haryana. In view of this situation, there is also a chance of water level rising in Yamuna and Hindon. The district administration has issued a warning for the next 72 hours. It is advisable that people and villagers living near the rivers take caution and stay at safe locations, he said. In any case, people should not try to go into the rivers or near the rivers. On Sunday, we received information that some people tried to take bath in flooded areas and also tried to take selfies. This could be fatal. I appeal to every resident of Gautam ..
In a relief to the victims of the recent landslides, flash floods and cloudburst triggered by heavy monsoon rains in the state, the Himachal Pradesh government Monday enhanced the compensation for several categories. Financial assistance will be provided to the families affected by landslides, flash floods and cloudbursts which occurred from July 7 to 15, under special norms, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in a statement issued here. Sukhu had announced assistance of Rs 1 lakh to affected families on July 11, saying the government will make changes to the relief manual for enhancing the relief aid. According to the manual, each disaster victim is granted Rs 5,000 as an aid at present. The compensation enhancement on Monday covered damage to houses, dhabas, shops, and agriculture and horticulture lands. In view of the unprecedented tragedy, the financial aid of Rs 12,500 and Rs 10,000 for partial damage to pucca and kutcha houses respectively has been increased to Rs on
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains Monday released a grant of Rs 27.77 crore to repair the flood-hit government schools in the state. Each school will receive an amount ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 30,000, said an official release. Mann said Rs 20 crore has been allocated for primary schools and Rs 7.77 crore for secondary schools. With this amount, school heads and management committees will undertake maintenance, cleanliness, painting and other necessary repairs in the schools. A special survey is being conducted regarding damages caused by floods in government schools of the state, which will help in allocating funds according to the needs of the affected schools for their renovation and maintenance, he said. Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by heavy downpour last week that has left normal life paralysed and flooded vast tracts of residential and agricultural land. Though the floodwaters have receded in many areas of Punjab and Haryana, authoritie
Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Monday said the Jal Shakti Department has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,411 crore due to floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in the hill state. He said 5,203 drinking water schemes, 1,237 irrigation schemes and 55 sewerage schemes were affected while 101 flood control works were damaged. Agnihotri, who holds the portfolio of Jal Shakti Vibhag, said while 4,623 schemes have been restored so far, it will take time to fix all of them. "We have been able to restore them because of the passionate and steely spirits of our employees," he said. "I appreciate the work being done by the employees and officers of the department for the restoration of drinking water and sewerage schemes in difficult circumstances," he added. Agnihotri said the government's aim was to provide relief to the affected people at the earliest. So far, 118 people have died in rain-related incidents and road accidents in the state since the on
Heavy rains pounded an already saturated Northeast on Sunday for the second time in a week, spurring another round of flash flooding, cancelled flights, and power outages. In Pennsylvania, a sudden flash flood late Saturday afternoon claimed at least four lives. Officials in Bucks County's Upper Makefield Township in Pennsylvania said torrential rains occurred around 5.30 pm on Saturday in the Washington Crossing area, sweeping away several cars. At least four people died and three others, including a 9-month-old boy and a 2-year-old girl, remained missing, authorities said. Other parts of the East Coast were experiencing heavy rain, including Vermont. Authorities there said landslides could become a problem on Sunday as the state copes with more rain following days of flooding. My team and I continue to monitor the situation as more rain falls in Vermont. There are flash flood warnings throughout the state today. Remain vigilant and be prepared, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said. Sund
Delhi Public Works Department Minister Atishi directed officials on Sunday to expedite the process of water drainage and road cleaning from sections of Ring Road to ensure a smooth traffic flow. Atishi visited the flood-affected spots at Chandgiram Akhada, Monastery Market, Nigambodh Ghat, Hanuman Mandir, Shantivan, Rajghat, ITO and Sachivalaya Road on Ring Road. During her inspection, she observed that several areas from Chandgiram Akhada to ISBT-Kashmere Gate were facing waterlogging issues and there was also mud on the roads due to the flood caused by heavy rain over the last few days. Atishi directed the officials present to expedite the process of water drainage and road cleaning from the section of the Ring Road to ensure a smooth traffic flow and provide relief to the people of Delhi. She also directed them to work round the clock to remove the flood water from Ring Road as the road is very important for central Delhi and serves as a crucial route for lakhs of vehicles daily
Officials stepped up relief preparedness as the water level in Yamuna rose to 495.8 feet here on Sunday, slightly breaching the 'low flood level' mark. As the river started swelling, it inundated nearby roads and a crematorium in Tajganj and touched the wall of the Itmad-ud-daulah monument. The Yamuna Kinara Road leading to the Taj Mahal here got waterlogged due to backflow from drains falling into the flooded river. District Magistrate Navneet Chahal inspected the low-lying areas in Agra city and directed the officials concerned to make proper arrangements in case a flood-like situation arises. Speaking to PTI, Yashvardhan Srivastav, ADM (Finance and Revenue) said, "The water level in Yamuna was 495.8 feet by 4 pm on Sunday. The low-flood level of this river in Agra is 495 feet. The medium flood level here is at 499 feet and high flood level at 508 feet." We are prepared to tackle a flood-like situation if it arises. Posts have been created and boatmen and divers are on alert. Lo
Mismanaged urban growth haunts NCT as climate extremes wreak havoc
The National Disaster Response Force has rescued more than 900 animals, including cows, dogs, goats, rabbits and a bull worth Rs 1 crore, from the flood-affected areas of Delhi and Noida during the last few days, it said on Saturday. A spokesperson for the federal contingency force said its rescuers undertook a "significant" and "challenging evacuation" in Sector-135 of Noida, neighbouring Delhi, from where it rescued 221 livestock such as cows, calves and goats, dogs and rabbits and "India's number one bull, named Pritam". The bull is worth Rs 1 crore, the force said in a Twitter post. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 16 teams in Delhi, apart from a few others in the Delhi and the National Capital Region. The NDRF spokesperson said its personnel rescued 1,530 people from the flood-affected areas of Delhi and evacuated 6,345 people along with 912 livestock. These figures pertain to NDRF operations undertaken over the last two-three days in Delhi-NCR, where t
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday held a Cabinet meeting and deputed ministers at six flood-affected districts to ensure proper facilities at relief camps set up by the Delhi government. Orders will be issued shortly to officers to report, and coordinate and cooperate with ministers to ensure proper facilities such as food, water, toilets and electricity at flood relief camps, Minister for Irrigation and Flood Control Saurabh Bharadwaj said. PWD Minister Atishi will look after facilities at camps in the North East Delhi district, while Gopal Rai has been deputed for Shahdara, Kailash Gahlot for South East Delhi and Imran Hussain for the Central Delhi district, he said. Bharadwaj will look after the camps in the East Delhi district.
Several roads in the national capital which were shut for traffic movement were opened on Saturday as the Yamuna floodwaters receded from the roads, officials said on Saturday. However, traffic regulations are still in effect on some key road stretches. According to an advisory issued by the traffic police on Saturday, Yamuna's water level dropped to 207.67 metres at 8 am on Saturday, reducing the water level on roads. As of 11 am, restrictions for traffic movement were relaxed on some roads, while a few roads remained shut, it said. Boulevard Road - slip road - service road - left turn under Yudhishthira Setu - Ring Road, Chandgi Ram Akhara to Mukarba Chowk Carriageway and Chandgi Ram Akhara to IP College both Carriageways have been opened for the traffic movement, the advisory stated. Bhairon Marg from Mathura Road to Ring Road carriageway, Vikas Marg from ITO to Laxmi Nagar both carriageways, Nishad Raj Marg from Shanti Van to Geeta Colony both carriageways have also been opene
Delhi Cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday alleged that flood in the city were caused by the the BJP-led Centre and Haryana government wilfully releasing water towards the national capital. Addressing a press conference here, Bharadwaj said it has not rained in Delhi in the last 3-4 days, yet still the water level in Yamuna reached 208.66 metres. "The water from Hathnikund Barrage is released from three canals -- Western Canal, Eastern Canal and Yamuna. As part of a conspiracy, between July 9 and 13, water was released from Yamuna canal only towards Delhi. There was no water released through the Western and Eastern Canal," he claimed. Similar charges were made by him and Delhi Chief Ministr Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, even as the city government butted heads with Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena over a broken regulator that allegedly caused inundation on the Vikas Marg. There was no immediate reaction from the BJP on fresh allegation made by the Aam aadmi Party on Saturday.
Among the thousands of people impacted by the floods along Yamuna banks in Noida this week, there were hundreds who were hired as help in farmhouses built illegally in the low-lying areas near the river, officials said. Government officials said the workers and staffers of the farmhouses thousands in number were not moved to safety in time even as advisories were issued well before the area got inundated. These farmhouses are located near Nagli Wajidpur village in Sector 135 on the other side of the pushta (embankment) towards the Yamuna some two kms off the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. "More than 500 such people were evacuated on Thursday and Friday from the farmhouses. As water entered the ground level, many of those stranded, including women, had taken shelter on second storey of the farmhouses. They carried some food and water with them which had started to run out," an officer engaged in rescue and relief measures told PTI. Many of these stranded people were discovered o
The Delhi Fire Services Saturday evacuated 33 students stranded at an institute at ITO in central Delhi after floodwaters entered its premises, officials said. According to the fire department, they received a call at 11.20 am and rushed to rescue the students at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA). Using fire tenders, the DFS staff rescued 33 trainees of the Indian Statistical Service who were stuck at IIPA and shifted them to a safer location, the officials said.
Floodwaters have started receding in several places of Punjab and Haryana, battered by heavy downpour earlier this week, and relief work is underway in affected areas in both states, officials said on Saturday. With the threat of water and vector-borne diseases looming large in flood-affected areas, health department officials have been directed to take appropriate steps to prevent any such outbreak, they said. The officials also said that medical camps have been set up in flood-hit areas and medicines are being distributed to people. At least 39 people have died in rain-related incidents in Punjab and Haryana. According to official data, 19 people have died in rain-related incidents in Punjab while the death toll in Haryana stands at 20. Over 22,000 people have been moved to safety from waterlogged localities in various flood-hit districts of Punjab. In neighbouring Haryana, 4,495 people have been evacuated. Fourteen districts Patiala, Moga, Ludhiana, Mohali, Jalandhar, Sangrur
Two days of heavy rain in South Korea killed at least seven people and left two others missing in landslides and floods, the government said Saturday. Additionally, eight people were trapped following landslides in central areas earlier in the day. Three people were killed Saturday after landslides caused by torrential downpours buried their houses in two central towns, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said in a report. It said two other people were also found dead elsewhere Saturday in landslide-related accidents, and two other people died in a building collapse caused by landslides in the central city of Nonsan on Friday. The report said two people were missing Saturday after flooding in their village in the central town of Yecheon. It said five people were injured due to landslide-caused accidents, including a train-derailment, on Friday and Saturday. South Korea has been pounded by heavy rains since July 9. The ministry report said the rainfall forced about 1,570 people
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday appealed to people of the city not to take selfies or swim in flooded areas as it could be fatal and said the threat of floods was not over yet. His appeal came a day after three boys drowned in a ditch while bathing in floodwaters in northwest Delhi's Mukundpur Chowk area. "Reports are coming from several places that some people are going to play or swim or take selfies or shoot videos in waterlogged places. Please do not do this. It can be fatal. The threat of flood is not over yet. The flow of water is very strong and the water level can rise anytime," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. Tagging a PTI video of children playing in floodwaters at Shanti Van, he said, "I urge everyone to avoid this." Parts of Delhi have been inundated after the Yamuna in the city breached its banks following days of heavy rains in its upper catchment areas, prompting the evacuation of thousands from low-lying areas. After rising continuously for three days,
Major roads at ITO and other low-lying areas near Yamuna continued to remain flooded late on Friday night and commuters could be seen facing convenience to reach their destination
Water from the Yamuna entered Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat in Delhi, inundating its lawns and pathways, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti Vice-Chairman Vijay Goel said on Friday. Goel said the flood water rose up to the memorial complex's entrance and later inundated the pathways leading to the marble platform where Gandhi was cremated. "However, the water just touched the lower portion of the marble platform and the flame atop it was unaffected," he told PTI. Visuals of Rajghat showed water surging on the Ring Road and entering the memorial. Goel said a part of the wall of the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti collapsed under the pressure of the water. Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told reporters that the flooding at Rajghat was due to the backflow from a drain in the area. A PTI Video showed the memorial's pathways and lawns inundated by waist-deep water. Rajghat, built in Gandhi's memory on the western bank of the Yamuna in Delhi, measures 44.35 acres. T