Relentless rainfall has unleashed chaos across several North Indian states, claiming lives, damaging infrastructure and disrupting livelihoods.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red and orange alerts for multiple regions, warning of heavy rainfall, flash floods, and landslides, particularly in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir.
To take stock of the ground situation in the Jammu region, where over 150 people have lost their lives in the flash floods triggered by cloud bursts since August 14, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday, inspected the rain, flood, and landslide-affected areas of Jammu division and took stock of the damage caused.
Meanwhile, the situation is turning grim with every passing hour across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and parts of the National Capital Region, including New Delhi.
More than 5,000 civilians were rescued and 21 tonnes of relief material were provided to the people in Jammu, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh affected by floods, the army said on Monday. The Western Command of the Indian Army has been conducting extensive Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in the flood-affected states.
A total of 47 columns, including army aviation and Indian Air Force helicopters, were activated along with formation engineers, medical and communication resources to provide immediate relief, an officer said.
As incessant rains continue to damage farmlands across several states — including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir — Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday held a high-level meeting to assess the extent of agricultural losses. Following discussions with senior officials, Chouhan announced plans to visit Punjab to conduct an on-ground assessment of crop damage and engage with affected farmers.
“I especially wish to assure my farmer friends in Punjab not to worry about anything. The Union Government stands firmly with them in this hour of crisis. I will soon visit the flood-affected areas of Punjab and meet with the farmers,” he said.
Several major cities across Punjab were left battered by a torrential downpour, flooded homes and shops, and power disruption for hours.
Meanwhile, in Punjab, two major canals originating from the Nangal Dam — the Nangal Hydel Canal and the Anandpur Sahib Hydel Canal — are facing a serious threat of breach due to continuous rain and erosion of canal banks near Mindwa village in Anandpur Sahib.
The national Capital was also placed under a yellow alert for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and moderate to heavy rainfall through the morning and forenoon.
In Shimla, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday announced that Himachal Pradesh has been declared a disaster-affected state, following rain-related damages exceeding Rs 3,056 crore across districts. “So far 16 pilgrims have died in the Manimahesh Yatra and bodies of four of them are still stuck in Kugti village in Bharmour as it is not possible to take them out as incessant rains are continuing. The Chamba district administration has arranged 20 porters to carry the corpse out but the rain is still continuing,” Sukhu said.
In Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the next 24-48 hours would be “crucial”, saying people whose houses were affected in the rain were being relocated to safer areas.
In Jammu, the Union Home Minister met the flood-affected people in Mangu Chak village, Jammu. He also inspected the Tawi Bridge at Bikram Chowk, the Shiv Temple and homes damaged by floods in Jammu.
Later, the Union Home Minister chaired a high-level meeting to review the latest situation. The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior officers of the Central and UT Government attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Amit Shah said advanced survey teams from the Ministry of Home Affairs would assess the damage, and further assistance would be provided. He announced that a meeting of relevant departments from the Central Government and the Union Territory administration, along with the Union Home Secretary, would be held within a day or two. The Union Home Minister directed that teams from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Union Territory Government should prioritise damage assessment. He emphasised that the health and water departments must proactively focus on water supply and health services. He further stressed that medical units from the Army, Central Armed Police Forces, and Air Force should also provide support.
The Union Home Minister also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the recent incidents. Shah said that in this hour of crisis, from the very first day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to the Lieutenant Governor and Chief Minister of the UT, and the Government of India has put in all its strength in the rescue efforts. Shah said that the Union Territory and all agencies together have significantly reduced potential damage, and through coordinated efforts, we have successfully saved many lives.
Amit Shah said that a critical analysis of all Early Warning Apps (EWAs), their accuracy, and their reach to the grassroots level is necessary. He emphasised that improving our systems through critical analysis is the only way to move toward a zero-casualty approach. He highlighted the need for a critical review of the GLOF Early Warning System.
The Union Home Minister said that the Meteorological Department and NDMA should jointly study the relationship between the tendencies leading to cloudbursts and moisture content in clouds, identify causes, and establish an early warning system. He stressed that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) must take steps in this direction by leveraging data analytics and AI. He also mentioned that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) should arrange for additional rations, and a decision on offline ration delivery could be made after assessing connectivity in 10 days.
The Union Home Minister said that since Jammu and Kashmir is prone to natural calamities, therefore, an amount of Rs 209 crores for the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) has been allocated to the UT as the Centre’s share, due to which relief work has started.
Amit Shah said that the private property of people has been damaged and assistance under SDRF for damaged houses is being assessed and will be disbursed in the shortest possible time. He added that multiple roads have been damaged and repair and restoration work has started. Traffic movement has started on most of the roads and relief has also started arriving, wherever needed.
The Union Home Minister appreciated the efforts of all the agencies and said that the UT Government carried out the successful rescue operation very quickly and efficiently. More than 5,000 people have been evacuated to safer places as a precaution. 17 teams of the NDRF and 23 Army columns, helicopters from the Indian Air Force, UTDRF, J&K Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel are still engaged in the entire operation and helping people.