Around 21 people have died in this part of the region as the rain lashed the States of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh throwing the normal life out of gear.
Eighteen people, including three children, have been killed due to heavy rainfall-related incidents across Himachal that witnessed the highest ever rainfall for a 24-hour period.
Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday said that the State has witnessed torrential rains during the last two days resulting in landslides, flash floods and falling of trees.
As per the reports received till Sunday evening, as many as eight persons were reported to have died in Shimla district alone. Two persons each have lost their lives in Chamba, Kullu, Sirmour and Solan districts. Apart from it, one person each lost their lives in Bilaspur and Lahaul and Spiti districts due to heavy rains during the last 24 hours.
The Chief Minister said that the State has suffered a loss of about Rs 490 crore in the State during this monsoon season.
The Indian Meteorological Department said that Himachal received the highest ever rainfall for a 24-hour period, since records began almost 70 years ago.
Heavy rains also remained unabated in Haryana and Punjab too causing floods in some parts, while authorities sounded a high alert in the two States.
In the Yamuna river, water level rose dangerously at the Hathni Kund barrage in Yamunanagar.
Haryana’s Department of Revenue and Disaster Management has issued a high flood warning on Sunday alerting Deputy Commissioners of Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Faridabad and Palwal. The discharge in Yamuna river is likely to increase due to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Yamuna and its tributaries.
The deputy commissioners of the five districts have been requested to keep a close watch on the situation.
He was also requested to keep their disaster management resources on high readiness to tackle any adverse situation.
The officials concerned with disaster management have been asked not to leave their station till the situation returns to normal.
In Punjab, floods were reported from areas like Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Pathankot. Following heavy rains in Aol village near Khanna, three members of a family, including a 10-year-old, were killed when the roof of their house collapsed.
A few trains were cancelled in Rupnagar after rainwater flooded rail tracks. Authorities have also ordered closure of schools in the area.
In the wake of the release of nearly two lakh cusecs of water from the Rupnagar Headwork, Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar, Varinder Kumar Sharma has asked the sub-divisional magistrates Phillaur, Nakodar and Shahkot to get 81 low-lying and flood-prone villages evacuated to save them from fury of floods.
Jalandhar district authorities have asked people living near the swollen Sutlej river and the low-lying areas to remain alert following the release of excess water from the Bhakra Dam.
In Ferozepur too, authorities have ordered evacuation of 20 villages due to floods.