Monsoon Mayhem in North India: PM Modi reviews situation, speaks to officials

The Prime Minister's Office informed that teams of local administrations, the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force are working to ensure the well-being of those affected due to the heavy rainfall. The landslides and flooding caused by the rainfall has put lives and livelihoods in danger 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took stock of the Monson mayhem in different parts of north India. The Prime Minister's Office took to Twitter to say, "PM @narendramodi spoke to senior Ministers and officials, and took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of India. Local administrations, NDRF and SDRF teams are working to ensure the well-being of those affected." Northern India has been devastated by torrential rains, resulting in a tragic loss of at least 22 lives and triggering landslides and flash floods in the region. The downpour in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has been unprecedented, marking the heaviest rainfall in decades and leading to the closure of schools.

In response to the dire situation, authorities in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, located in the Himalayan states, have urged residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. Himachal Pradesh has also ordered the temporary closure of schools and colleges for two days.

Officials have reported that all major rivers are overflowing. As per the local meteorological office, fresh red alert for extremely-heavy rainfall (above 204 mm) has been sounded in 10 out of the 12 districts in Himachal Pradesh, excluding the tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti, on July 9.

In the past 36 hours, Himachal Pradesh has witnessed 14 major landslides and 13 flash floods, leading to the closure of over 700 roads, according to the state emergency operation centre. The flash floods caused a bridge to collapse and washed away several dwellings. Helicopters have been deployed to rescue stranded individuals on roads and bridges due to the relentless rain.

Local media reports indicate that streets in various northern states, including Uttarakhand, Punjab and Delhi have been submerged. Rescue teams have used rubber rafts in certain areas to reach people trapped in their homes.

A senior official from the weather department revealed that multiple districts in Himachal Pradesh experienced rainfall equivalent to a month's average in just one day over the weekend. According to the weather department, Delhi, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh have received rainfall this monsoon season that exceeds the average by 112%, 100%, and 70%, respectively.