Rain continues to batter north India, causing floods, landslides

New Delhi: Unabated rains in several parts of North India have pushed several states into deeper crises with rivers remaining swollen, highways blocked and continued landslides.

Fresh spells of rain on Thursday have created further misery in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Punjab has seen 37 deaths so far and damage to crops spread across 1.75 lakh hectares in 23 districts. Services of NDRF, Army and BSF pressed for relief operations.

In Haryana, Public Health Minister Ranbir Gangwa convened an emergency meeting, directing officials to ensure immediate drainage and uninterrupted drinking water supply.

In Himachal Pradesh, incessant rain has triggered landslides and road collapses. On Thursday morning, two houses came down in Kullu’s Akhada Bazaar, killing one and burying six.

Train services on the Shimla–Kalka line have been suspended. Power and water supply have also been hit as 2,809 transformers and 1,081 water schemes remain disrupted, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre.

Since June 20, Himachal has recorded 95 flash floods, 45 cloudbursts and 127 major landslides, with 343 deaths and losses estimated at Rs 3,690 crore.

Meanwhile, the Yamuna in Delhi held steady at 207.46 metres at the Old Railway Bridge with officials saying the level is likely to recede.

Despite this, floodwaters continued to swamp nearby areas, reaching close to the Delhi Secretariat and inundating nearby areas. Cremation grounds were badly hit, with Nigambodh Ghat shut and the Geeta Colony crematorium partially submerged.

The incessant rainfall and Yamuna flooding brought traffic snarls and heavy waterlogging across the national capital. 

The India Meteorological Department has warned of more heavy rain. Rajasthan is on 'orange alert' with Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, and Udaipur expected to receive very heavy rainfall.

The Kashmir Valley has been cut off from the rest of the country after landslides and road washouts forced closure of the Jammu–Srinagar highway, Mughal Road, Sinthan Road and the Batote–Doda–Kishtwar highway.