Page 9 - Flood

Atishi pulls up top bureaucrat over delay in disbursal of flood relief sum

The tussle between the AAP government in Delhi and its bureaucrats resurfaced on Saturday with Revenue Minister Atishi "pulling up" chief secretary Naresh Kumar over the disbursal of flood relief amount, according to a Delhi government statement. The minister directed the Chief Secretary to ensure all officers are deployed on Saturday and Sunday to process the ex gratia sum promised to the flood-affected people so that the money can be transferred to their bank accounts on Monday. Atishi in a note to Kumar said she was "shocked" when she, during a revenue department meeting convened over the disbursal of relief amount, found that only 197 out of 4,716 affected families staying in relief camps had received Rs 10,000 of the ex gratia relief sanctioned by the Delhi government. "It has been 10 days since the Cabinet took the decision to give Rs 10,000 relief to families affected by floods. But in 10 days, 19 IAS and 18 DANICS officers - along with 6 DMs, 6 ADMs and 18 SDMS - have not be

World Bank to provide assessment of damages due to Himachal floods

The World Bank has offered to provide full support to flood-affected Himachal Pradesh, and will provide a comprehensive assessment of the damages which will aide reconstruction efforts, a statement issued here on Friday said. The World Bank has offered to conduct an assessment in collaboration with the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) to quantify losses suffered in various sectors such as roads, power, water supply, housing, public buildings, irrigation, agriculture, horticulture, livestock, ecological services, the statement said. World Bank's Country Director for India Auguste Tano Kouame has conveyed the bank's appreciation towards the timely measures taken by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in a letter, including for monitoring and ensuring the safe return of tourists stranded in different parts of the state, a government spokesperson said. The proposed assessment will play a pivotal role in facilitating the reconstruction efforts, the statement

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Floods spark eye flu outbreak in Delhi; Know about cause and symptoms

As Delhi NCR people overcome a record flood, a new viral outbreak is occuring. Delhi people are now struggling with conjunctivitis. Here are some symptoms and preventions of the diseases

Flood waters recede in Junagadh, 3,000 people shifted to safer places

As flood waters receded on Sunday in the rain-battered Junagadh district of Gujarat a day after torrential rains, the focus now was on restoring normalcy, officials said, adding nearly 3,000 people have been shifted to safer places in the district. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued an 'orange' alert for Gujarat, saying the state was expected to receive "heavy to very heavy rainfall" on July 24. It also predicted heavy to very heavy rains at a few places with isolated extremely heavy rainfall in Devbhumi Dwarka, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Valsad districts in the next 24 hours. Junagadh city recorded 241 mm rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 6 am on Sunday, causing waterlogging in several parts, leaving damaged cars piled on each other and carcasses of cattle swept away in flash floods, officials said. Two national highways, 10 state highways and 300 rural roads were closed in Gujarat on Saturday due to flooding, and the traffic resumed at places where water

Flood alert in Noida, around 200 people evacuated from Hindon banks

The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration has issued a flood warning for low-lying regions along the Hindon as water discharge in the river increased, officials said on Sunday. Around 200 people from five villages have been evacuated and shifted to shelter homes after the alert was raised on Saturday, they said. The river is flowing below the danger mark of 205-metre in the district, bordering Delhi in western Uttar Pradesh, according to a senior officer. "Around 200 people from five villages have been evacuated and shifted to shelter homes that have been set up by the administration to provide them accommodation, food and health care, Additional District Magistrate Atul Kumar told PTI. "The Hindon is currently flowing at 200-metre, below the danger mark of 205-metre, said Kumar, who is also the nodal officer for flood relief work in Gautam Buddh Nagar. The district is located between Hindon and Yamuna rivers. The district recently witnessed floods along the Yamuna river banks, which

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Cloudburst triggers flash floods in Ladakh; no loss of life reported

A cloudburst triggered flash floods in the Union Territory of Ladakh, causing debris to flow into the main market area and throwing life out of gear, but there are no reports of any loss of life, officials said on Saturday. The cloudburst hit the Gangles area of the Union territory late Friday night and left several parts of Leh town inundated, they said, adding the debris entered many buildings in the low-lying areas, causing some damage to them. A police spokesperson said rescue and rehabilitation work was underway in Leh town, especially in Khakshal, Sanker, Skampari, Chhubi, Zangsti and the main market Gonpa Soma areas. As a result of the flash floods, a programme of the Dalai Lama in Leh was postponed, the officials said. They said some shops were damaged in the Gangles area and there was a lot of debris in the Chokhang Vihara area. Many tourists, including foreigners, lent a helping hand and were seen cleaning the main market area following the flash flood. President of the

Punjab health dept provides medical assistance to flood-affected people

According to officials, 1441 villages have been affected by the flood till 8 am on July 21. A total of 155 relief camps are running in the state in which 4560 people are staying

HC to hear on Monday plea seeking immediate measures at flood relief camps

The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to hear on July 24 a plea seeking direction to authorities for immediate steps to provide free rations, medical assistance and essential medicines at the flood relief camps in the city. The plea was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula which listed the matter for hearing on Monday. The plea stated that around 25,000 people were affected by the recent flood in the national capital and complained of a lack of proper sanitation facilities and food at the relief camps. "Flood management being a state subject, the primary onus is upon states to take steps to deal with it," petitioner Dr Akash Bhattacharya, a former assistant professor of Azim Premji University, said. The plea, filed through advocate KR Shiyas, said the unprecedented flood rendered hundreds of people, who reside on the Yamuna floodplains, homeless. "In the alarming and unprecedented situation, the state machine

Flood water from Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Rajghat completely pumped out

Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat has been freed of waterlogging, a week after waters from the Yamuna river inundated the complex. Officials on Friday said, Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena who was supervising the operation to drain flood water from the lawns and pathways of the memorial, visited Rajghat and took stock of the situation. "Water from the main area of the memorial was completely pumped out and it was dried and cleaned now. Senior officers of the Delhi government, including the chief secretary, were constantly monitoring the work on the L-G's instructions," an official said. Last week, waters from the Yamuna inundated the Ring Road and the situation worsened with backflow from a drain in the area inundating the memorial area. The operations to drain out flood waters started on Sunday and 10 pumps were used, officials added.

1,000 evacuated as heavy rains create flood-like situation in Maha's Nanded

Nearly 1,000 people from Biloli tehsil in Maharashtra's Nanded district have been shifted to safer places as heavy rains created a flood-like situation in 12 villages, officials said on Friday. Rescue teams comprising revenue department personnel and others carried out the rescue operation from Thursday evening that continued till late night, a district administration official said. "Nearly 1,000 residents of 12 villages, including Harnali, Machnur, Biloli, Golegaon, Aarali, Kasarali, Belkoni, Kundalwadi and Ganjgaon, were moved to safety. There was a sudden increase in water level in these villages following rains, which created a flood-like situation," he said. People were shifted as water entered settlements and farms in these villages, he added. The rescued people were given temporary shelter in nearby Zilla Parishad-run schools or houses located in high-lying areas, the official said. Several local people also contributed to the rescue operation, he said.

Yamuna water level in Delhi now below danger mark of 205.33 metres

The water level of the Yamuna in Delhi dropped below the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Thursday morning and is expected to recede further, albeit slowly as heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in the upper catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Central Water Commission's (CWC) data showed the water level reached 205.25 metres at 10 am. There have been marginal fluctuations in the water level over the last two-three days. The Yamuna had been receding gradually after reaching an all-time high of 208.66 metres last Thursday. The water level dropped below the danger mark of 205.33 metres by 8 pm on Tuesday, after flowing above the threshold for eight days. It receded to 205.22 metres at 5 am on Wednesday, before it started rising again and breached the danger mark. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh till July 22. In case of heavy rains upstream of Delhi, the

63,000 remain affected by floods in Assam, one new death reported

The flood situation in Assam improved as the number of affected people came down to over 63,000 on Wednesday, an official report said. However, one fresh death due to drowning was reported, taking the toll of this year's floods to nine so far, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) report. A total of 63,606 people, including 30,354 men, 24,868 women and 8,384 children are reeling under the impact of floods in 14 districts of the state. The number of affected was 88,911 in 16 districts on the previous day. Brahmaputra River was flowing above the danger mark in Dhubri, Tezpur and Nematighat, while its tributaries were showing a receding trend in other areas. Barpeta, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metro, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari and Sivasagar are the affected districts. Golaghat is the worst affected district with 27,526 people reeling under the floods, followed by 15,137 in Sivasagar, and 14,892 in ...

Heavy rains create flood-like situation in Jammu, rivers breach danger mark

Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was suspended, while authorities ordered the closure of schools in Doda and Kishtwar districts as heavy rains lashed the Jammu region, creating a flood-like situation at many places, officials said on Wednesday. They said rivers and rivulets in many places, especially in Kathua and Samba districts, have reached close to or crossed the flood alert level. The weather office has predicted more rains in the region. Heavy rains lashed wide parts of Jammu division overnight, triggering mudslides and landslides at several places along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district, forcing authorities to suspend traffic, the officials said. "The highway is still blocked and people are advised not to travel till the restoration work is completed," a traffic department official said. The officials said the traffic on the Jammu-Pathankot highway was also diverted in Kathua district where two pillars of a bridge suffered damages due to f

Advisory issued in Gurdaspur after water released in Punjab's Ujh river

The district administration in Punjab's Gurdaspur on Wednesday issued an advisory, asking people living near the Ravi river to remain vigilant after 2.60 lakh cusecs water was released in Ujh river. The Ujh river in Jammu, after crossing Pathankot, merges into Ravi river in Makora Patan in Gurdaspur district. Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal said 2.60 lakh cusecs water was released in Ujh river due to heavy rains in hilly areas. The administration has also evacuated people living near low-lying areas and on the banks of Ravi river, he said, adding a holiday was also declared in some schools. Aggarwal said the district administration is fully prepared to deal with any situation. Any information about flood-like situation can be given on the toll-free number 1800-180-1852 of the control room of the district administration, he said. Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by the recent heavy downpour that has left normal life paralysed and flooded vast t

Yamuna waters reach Taj Mahal, no threat to monument, says ASI

The swollen Yamuna river has reached the walls of the Taj Mahal here, a development only witnessed in 1978 and 2010, even as the Archaeological Survey of India said the increased water levels pose no threat to the iconic monument. According to officials, the water level crossed the 'medium flood level' of 499 feet. It reached 499.97 feet here on Tuesday due to which the water touched the walls of the Taj Mahal and submerged a garden behind it. An official of the ASI's Agra Circle said the main mausoleum is designed on a raised structure which stands on 'Chameli farsh' and is built on a foundation of 42 wells supported by a structure of sal woods. "The Yamuna waters touched the walls of the Taj Mahal in 2010 and prior to that in the year 1978. In the 1978 flood, water had entered rooms in the monument's basement," Prince Vajpayee, conservation assistant at Taj Mahal, told PTI. "This year as well, the water has reached the Taj Mahal, but it is not a threat to the monument. The main

Surge in snake sightings as floodwaters recede, govt sets up response team

With a surge in snake sightings across Delhi as floodwaters recede, the city government on Tuesday decided to establish a rapid response team to effectively handle the situation. According to an official, this is the first time such a team has been assembled, reflecting the severity of the recent flooding as the swollen Yamuna River reached farther into the city than it has in over four decades. Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the rapid response team will be operational in all flood-affected districts of Delhi, ensuring comprehensive coverage in addressing the snake-related concerns. To provide immediate assistance and streamline the reporting of snake incidents, the forest department has introduced a dedicated helpline number, 1800118600. Over the past few days, there have been multiple reports of snakes emerging from houses, posing a risk to residents. Concerns have been raised about snake encounters near flood relief camps, a statement said. An official informed PTI that mo

Homes washed away, Delhi flood victims stare at battle to stay afloat

They survived Delhi's devastating floods but now stare at the challenges of the aftermath -- rebuilding a home, restarting a life! Aruna Devi (35) lived in the Yamuna Khadar area before the water of the swollen river came gushing in last week, sweeping away the modest structure she called home and destroying her children's books. The family was evacuated to a relief camp, and as the water recedes it prepares to come back. Their immediate challenge is that one of them has fallen sick, but their longterm challenges are more daunting. "I am worried for the education of my children," says Aruna, who worked in agriculture fields. "The flood washed away their books and other essentials. When I went back to get them, the police did not let me. I do not know what I shall do." The consequences of the floods have been devastating with over 26,000 people being evacuated from their homes. The waters inundated key landmarks, roads, monuments and residential areas. The estimated loss of property

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