While the flood situation in Kerala and Karnataka improved significantly on Saturday, it’s now the turn of the northern States to bear the brunt of the torrential rain that has lashed Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Jammu.
The Punjab Government issued a high alert following the release of excess water from the Bhakra Dam on Saturday while the Himachal Pradesh Government was forced to close all educational institutions in Kangra district due to incessant rainfall and landslides that ensued.
“The monsoon trough was passing through Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Bangladesh, and heavy to very heavy rain is likely in the next two days and thunderstorms are likely over Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh,” the IMD said.
As per data, Rajasthan recorded 405.8 mm rainfall against the normal of 293 mm; Punjab recorded 281.9 mm against 329 mm; Himachal Pradesh recorded 538 mm against 427.1 mm. and Jammu & Kashmir recorded 368.1 mm against the normal of 361 mm.
In Punjab, rain lashed several places, including Ludhiana, Amritsar, Mohali and Chandigarh. People living near the Sutlej river and low-lying areas have been advised to be vigilant and take precautions to safeguard themselves.
Besides, the Bhakra Beas Management Board authorities discharged 17,000 cusecs of excess water out of total release of 53,000 cusecs through the spill gates, an official said. The remaining 36,000 cusec was released after its use for power generation.
According to Sumeet Jarangal, Deputy Commissioner, Roop Nagar, there are reports of crops getting submerged in the water in some villages adjoining the Sutlej river in Anandpur Sahib of Rupnagar district due to the release of excess water and rainfall. “An advisory has already been issued to people living near Sutlej river. The district authority is fully geared up to deal with any situation,” Jarangal said.
In Jammu region, heavy rain lashed several parts raising water level in major rivers, including Tawi, and leaving some low-lying areas submerged. According to State Disaster Response Force, 11 people belonging to a nomadic community, were stuck in flash floods in Ujh river in Rajbagh area and were rescued.
In Rajasthan, Mount Abu recorded a maximum of 137 mm rain while Ajmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Vanasthali, Bhilwara and Sikar received 104.5 mm, 88.2, 79, 42.1,41 and 37.4 mm of rainfall. There is a flood-like situation in Kota, Jodhupur and nearby areas due to heavy rain. The IMD has issued warning for extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in eastern parts and heavy rainfall at isolated places in the western parts of the State.
Six people were also rescued from Neugal Khad near Om Hydro Power Project near Palamapur in Kangra in Himachal Pradesh. As a precautionary measure, Lahru bridge in Kangra district has been closed for vehicular traffic following heavy rain.
The IMD also predicted rainfall with heightened intensity on Saturday in parts of Himachal Pradesh. An orange warning, which denotes the likelihood of conditions that could impact lives significantly, has been issued for the entire State.
Flood-like situation in Andhra
The flood situation in Kerala and Karnataka improved while Andhra Pradesh is facing flood-like situation as the rivers Krishna and Godavari are in a spate. On the other hand, people have started moving to their homes from relief camps in Kerala. According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, as many as 80-90 villages and thousands of acres of farm land are inundated in the State due to heavy rainfall. Puligadda Bridge was submerged in floodwaters after almost 10 years due to massive increase in water level in Krishna river. Besides, the flood discharge at Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada has fallen to 7.99 lakh cusecs while the inflow remained steady at 7.57 lakh cusecs.