Page 8 - Flood

Sikkim flash flood: Toll rises to 25, searches on for 143 missing people

The toll in the flash flood in Sikkim mounted to 21 on Friday as Army and NDRF teams worked their way through slushy earth and fast flowing water in the Teesta river basin and downstream north Bengal for the third day in search of those who were swept away and are still missing, officials said. Of the 23 army personnel who were missing from Burdang area, the bodies of seven have been recovered from different areas downstream while one was rescued and the search is on for 15 missing jawans, Chief Minister P S Tamang said. A total of 118 people, including the 15 jawans, remained missing after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim in the early hours of Wednesday triggered the flash flood. So far, 2,411 people have been evacuated and accommodated at relief camps, while the calamity has affected over 22,000 people, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) said in its latest bulletin. The flash flood in the Teesta River, triggered by the cloudburst in Lhonak Lake, .

Sikkim flash flood: Death toll rises to 21, over 100 missing | Details here

Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) has advised people to stay away from the Teesta as the water level was rising due to incessant rains in the upper reaches

Sikkim's Teesta III river dam disaster: When neglect flows downstream

Larger questions have also emerged on the ecological sensitivity of the glacial regions around Sikkim, their susceptibility to extreme weather events, rapid infra creation and lack of climate adaptati

People moving to high flood zones, increasing risk of disasters: Study

Far more people are in harm's way as they move into high flood zones across the globe, adding to an increase in watery disasters from climate change, a new study said. Since 1985, the number of the world's settlements in the riskiest flood zones has increased 122 per cent, compared to 80 per cent for the safest areas, according to a study in Wednesday's journal Nature by researchers at The World Bank. The authors looked at settlement extent and expansion using satellites instead of population, with the world's built-up regions growing 85 per cent overall from 1985 to 2015. People are on a search for better lives and better jobs and then sort of get stuck in bad lands because that's what they can afford, said study co-author Stephane Hallegatte, a World Bank senior climate adviser and expert on disaster economics. He said they know it's dangerous when they arrive. The problem is driven by middle- and low-income countries, the study found. Richer countries like the United States and

Water level in Teesta currently below danger mark, no flood situation: CWC

The water level in the Teesta river was below the danger mark at 1 pm on Wednesday and there is no flood situation around it, according to Central Water Commission data. Three people died and 23 Army personnel were washed away earlier in the day after a cloudburst over the Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim resulted in a flash flood in the Teesta River basin, which was aggravated by the release of water from a dam, officials said. According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the water level at three stations Melli, Singtam and Rohtak on the Teesta is below the danger mark but hovering near it. The water level at station Melli is 214.63 metres, while the danger level is 224 metres, it showed. "It has a rising trend. Water level is below warning Level. So, there is no flood situation around Melli," the CWC said on its app. The current water level at station Singtam is 351.31 metres while the danger level is at 355.09 metres. "Water Level is below warning level. So, there is no flood

West Bengal govt cautions 7 districts on possible flood situation

The West Bengal government on Monday said that there is a high possibility of flood in seven districts of the state due to continued incessant rainfall in the upper catchment areas of neighbouring Jharkhand. Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi on Monday afternoon held an urgent virtual meeting with senior officials of the districts of Paschim Bardhaman, Bankura, Birbhum, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly and Howrah and directed them to immediately take all forms of precautionary measures. "During the meeting, the chief secretary directed all District Magistrates and SPs to immediately identify low-lying and flood-prone areas as well as start monitoring waterlogging and embankment breaches and take proper steps for their remedies," an official statement said. "The chief secretary informed the meeting that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rainfall to continue till October 5 with heavy rainfall predicted tomorrow. The well-marked low-pressure area is currently

New York City streets flooded, multiple subway lines snarled by downpour

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Friday across all of New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley, saying state agencies were prepared to offer assistance

Storm floods New York City area, swamping streets in rush-hour mess

A potent rush-hour rainstorm swamped the New York metropolitan area on Friday, shutting down swaths of the city's subway system, flooding streets and highways, and cutting off access to at least one terminal at LaGuardia Airport. Up to 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain fell in some areas overnight, and as much as 7 inches (18 centimeters) more was expected throughout the day, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said. This is a dangerous, life-threatening storm," Hochul said in an interview with TV station NY1. "Count on this for the next 20 hours. Photos and video posted on social media showed water pouring into subway stations and basements, and reaching the top of cars' wheels in parts of Brooklyn and elsewhere. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs subway and commuter rail lines, urged residents of the nation's most populous city to stay home if they could. Virtually every subway line was at least partly suspended, rerouted or running with delays, and two of the Metro-No

8,700 shifted as rains cause flood-like situation in Madhya Pradesh

More than 8,700 people have been shifted to safer places after heavy rains caused flood-like situation in many areas in Malwa and Nimar regions of Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Sunday. Khargone, Barwani, Dhar, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Alirajpur and Indore districts saw heavy rains in the last two days. The intensity of the downpour reduced comparatively on Sunday. In Jhabua district, eight persons were swept away after the embankment of a pond collapsed on Saturday night amid heavy rains in Bahadur Pada village, an official said, adding that two bodies were recovered on Sunday morning, while a search for three women and as many children is underway. In Ujjain district, an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper on Sunday rescued a pregnant woman and two other members of her family from the rooftop of their house located in a flooded agricultural field, an official said. "8,718 people and 2,637 cattle have been shifted to safety in Malwa and Nimar regions. 610 jawans and 801 home guards were

Heavy rain batters Gujarat, water release from Narmada causes flooding

Heavy rain lashed several parts of Gujarat on Sunday, flooding low-lying areas and cutting off several villages as Narmada and other rivers are in full spate, prompting shifting of hundreds of people to safer places, officials said. Several areas in Ahmedabad were waterlogged after the city received 76 mm of rainfall in 12 hours ending at 6 pm on Sunday, throwing the normal life out of gear. Authorities blocked underpasses for traffic as a precautionary measure. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Panchmahal, Dahod, Kheda, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Banaskantha and Sabarkantha districts predicting isolated extremely heavy rainfall till Tuesday morning. It has also warned of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall in Gujarat in its forecast till Thursday morning. The release of massive amounts of water from Sardar Sarovar dam (SSD), which touched its full reservoir level of 138.68 metres on Sunday morning, in the Narmada river due to heavy rains in the ...

Heavy rains lash Rajasthan, flood-like situation in three districts

Heavy rains lashed parts of Rajasthan in the last 24 hours, triggering flood-like situation in Banswara, Dungarpur and Pratapgarh districts. In Banswara district, which witnessed very heavy rains, a man lost his life after being swept away in a nullah or small canal in on Saturday night, officials said. Dinesh, a sarpanch, was trying to cross the flooded canal on his motorbike when he was washed away along with the bike. The dead body of the sarpanch was recovered on Sunday, Banswara collector Prakash Chandra Sharma said. Gates of Mahi dam in Banswara were opened after the water level increased in the dam following incessant rains. A highway connecting Banswara to Udaipur and Pratapgarh was also closed due to waterlogging, Banswara divisional commissioner Neeraj K Pawan said. The rainfall has been extremely heavy, leading to the increase in water level of Mahi dam. All 16 gates were opened on Saturday and the water was released, the Banswara collector said. With the rise in the wa

Libya floods: Death toll soars to 11,300, over 10,000 listed missing

The figure could reach 20,000, according to Derna's mayor, Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi, given how many neighbourhoods were affected

Himachal CM Sukhu donates all his savings to state disaster relief fund

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday donated all his savings worth Rs 51 lakh to the state disaster relief fund to extend a helping hand to the people affected by natural calamities, according to a statement. The chief minister and his wife Kamlesh Thakur presented a cheque of Rs 51 lakh to Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena at their official residence here, the statement issued here said. "I could well understand the pain of the people and their plight during the recent monsoon fury in which more than 260 precious lives were lost and many rendered homeless, besides suffering huge losses," he said. Every section of society had voluntarily contributed towards the relief fund. Even children broke their piggy banks to help those in distress, the elders parted with their pension and the state government employees contributed generously from their salary to contribute towards the Aapda Raahat Kosh (disaster relief fund), he said. Earlier, the governments of Bihar

Libya floods: 5,000 killed, over 10,000 missing; search operation underway

Authorities say that around 10,000 more are missing, potentially either swept out to sea or buried beneath rubble that's strewn throughout the city once home to over 100,000 people

HP devastation: Efforts being made to restore crucial roadways, says CM

Temporary roads are swiftly being constructed to facilitate the transportation of agricultural and horticultural produce, minimizing financial losses for farmers, the CM added

Delhi authorities brace up for flood, waterlogging ahead of G20 Summit

A contingency plan has been put in place to deal with waterlogging at the G20 venue and other strategic locations to fend off against rain during the two-day event in the city next month, officials said on Thursday. The plan involves having a battery of tractor-mounted heavy duty 50 horsepower pumps deployed to clear the excess water, mechanical road sweeping (MRS) vehicles, also mounted with heavy water jetting machines to clear mud and silt off road sides, and a 'super sucker' to clear clogged drains and sewer lines, they said. The machines will be deployed round-the-clock in two shifts of 12 hours each and will be monitored by a sanitary inspector, a helper, and a probationer IAS and DANICS officer. The supervision of these vehicles and personnel has been entrusted to the SDMs of the respective areas, officials said. A tunnel leading to Ring Road at Pragati Maidan, the main Summit site, was submerged in water after heavy rain in the city last month, forcing the LG to come up wit

Punjab govt releases Rs 186 cr as compensation for crops damaged in floods

The Punjab government on Tuesday said it has released over Rs 186.12 crore as compensation for crops damaged in the state's flood-hit areas. Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa said the money has been released from the relief fund to deputy commissioners of 16 districts. Crops were damaged due to flooding in many areas of the state in July and August, the minister said in a statement. A special 'girdawari (survey to assess losses)' was conducted in all the affected areas, he added. The state government is committed to provide compensation to the victims and it has no dearth of funds for the purpose, the minister said. Providing a district-wise breakdown, he said Rs 59.50 crore was released to Patiala, Rs 26.52 crore to Tarn Taran, Rs 26.08 crore to Sangrur, Rs 22.44 crore to Ferozepur and Rs 12.92 crore to Mansa. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already announced that loss of every crop, cattle or house was covered in the 'girdawari' to ful

Govt launches 'FloodWatch' app for real-time flood updates, forecasts

Amid a rise in flood-related incidents in the country, including loss of life and property, the government Thursday launched an app to disseminate real-time information on the flood situation in affected areas. The 'FloodWatch' app, will collect data from 338 stations to send real-time flood updates across 23 states and Union Territories, Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairperson Kushvinder Vohra said. The app aims to use mobile phones to spread flood-related information and even provides forecasts for up to 7 days, Vohra said while launching 'FloodWatch'. The app uses advanced technologies such as satellite data analysis, mathematical modelling, and real-time monitoring to deliver accurate and timely flood forecasts, he added. "The app's user-friendly interface will make it easy for anyone to stay informed and minimise risk during flood events," Vohra said. 'FloodWatch' will send out alert messages and flood forecasts in both written and audio formats, the CWC chief said. The a

Govt keeping close watch on flood situation, rescue ops underway: Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said his government was keeping a close watch on the flood situation, and added that rescue and relief operations are underway in the flood-hit areas. Many areas in Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar and Gurdaspur districts were inundated following the release of excess water from the Bhakra and Pong dams, officials said. The water level in Beas and Sutlej rivers rose following the release of water from the reservoirs. The Bhakra Dam on Sutlej river and the Pong Dam on Beas river -- both in Himachal Pradesh -- are brimming after heavy rain in their respective catchment areas. Punjab has seen flooding of many areas for the second time in just over a month. Several parts of Punjab were affected by the rains that happened between July 9 and July 11, flooding vast expanses of agricultural fields and other areas, besides paralysing normal life. Mann said the flood situation in the state was fully in control and that the government was monitoring the ..

52 dead, 37 injured as rain continues to wreak havoc in Uttarakhand

According to officials, the victims, including one from Gujarat, were on their way to Kedarnath when the incident took place on Thursday evening