1: Torrential rains wreak havoc across North India, causing casualties, cancelling train services, closing educational institutes, cutting off villages and blocking at least 1,337 roads.
2: Punjab declared all 23 districts flood-hit; Himachal, Delhi, and Jammu face landslides, rescues and transport chaos.
Relentless rains continued in large parts of North India this week, causing flash floods, landslides, house collapses and widespread damage across Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi.
Officials reported casualties, closure of schools, evacuation and infrastructure damage as rivers swelled above safety mark. Punjab declared all 23 districts flood-hit, claiming 30 lives and affecting over 3.5 lakh people.
In Himachal Pradesh, five people died in house collapses and landslides. The State Emergency Operation Centre said 1,337 roads, including four national highways, were blocked due to landslips. National Highway 3 (Mandi-Dharampur), NH-305 (Aut-Sainj), NH-5 (Old Hindustan-Tibet road) and NH-707 (Hatkoti-Poanta) were among the worst affected ones.
In Solan’s Samloh village, a woman named Hemlata died after her house collapsed late on Monday. In Kullu’s Dhalpur, a woman succumbed to injuries after being rescued from debris.
In Mandi’s Sundernagar, a landslide killed two women and a child. Authorities fear more people could be trapped. “The teams of National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force and police are carrying out the rescue operations,” PTI quoted Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apporv Devgan.
Schools and colleges in Shimla, Kangra and Sirmaur districts were ordered to stay closed on Wednesday after the local meteorological office issued an orange alert for heavy rain in Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur and Kinnaur. A yellow alert was released for Una and Bilaspur.
“Teachers and administrative staff are exempted from attending educational institutions, and online classes will be conducted,” said Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap to PTI.
Flooding in Manali cut off nine villages, obstructing the Manali-Leh route. Landslides damaged houses in Mandi and Kullu, forcing multiple families to vacate. Apple growers also reported severe disruption in transporting their produce to markets.
Since the onset of the monsoon on June 20, Himachal has witnessed 95 flash floods, 45 cloudbursts and 121 major landslides, causing losses worth ₹3,523 crore. At least 340 people have died in rain-related incidents so far.
The Punjab government on Tuesday declared all 23 districts flood-hit, with 30 people dead and at least 3.5 lakh people affected. Rivers continued to flow near the danger mark and reservoirs remained full.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann toured Ferozepur on a boat, while Governor Gulab Chand Kataria visited Ferozepur and Tarn Taran. Mann criticised the “meagre compensation” under central relief norms and demanded release of Punjab’s ₹60,000 crore “pending” funds. He said he was demanding the state’s rights and not begging for it in the wake of floods.
Kataria backed farmers’ demand for land ownership rights to access crop-loss compensation. “The matter will be brought to the attention of the CM and efforts will be made to resolve it permanently,” he said.
Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said nearly 20,000 people have been evacuated and 1,48,590 hectares of crops damaged, with Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Ferozepur and Hoshiarpur worst-hit. Relief operations involve 23 NDRF teams, 12 Army, Air Force and Navy columns, 35 helicopters, and over 100 boats. Health Minister Balbir Singh said 818 medical teams were deployed. “Our goal is to ensure that no person is left without medical care,” he added.
In the national capital, over 10 residents were rescued from Jharoda Kalan village in Najafgarh after rain-induced flooding. "Information was received that some residents were stranded in knee-deep water in Jharoda Kalan. Multiple teams, including that of Delhi Police, were rushed to the spot and those stranded were safely evacuated," a senior police officer told PTI. The evacuees were shifted to a government school.
In Jammu, Northern Railway cancelled 68 trains to and from Jammu and Katra until September 30 due to track damage, while 24 services are set to resume. Rail traffic has been suspended for eight days amid misalignment and breaches on the Pathankot-Jammu section.
The region witnessed a record rainfall of 380 mm by Wednesday, the highest since 1910, stranding locals and pilgrims alike. A landslide near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra killed 34 people.
“To facilitate the movement of stranded passengers, the following train services are being run: Jammu Tawi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (2 shuttle services), Jammu Tawi-Kolkata, and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-New Delhi,” an official told PTI.
Four trains have been inducted in the Jammu-Katra section for shuttle service that will operate from September 1 to 15, the official said.
The Railways restored the operation of Sampark Kranti and Sealdah Express trains, Kantri Express, Vande Bharat, Trivandrum Express and shuttle services.
"Shuttle services have been started with the induction of two pairs of trains to facilitate the movement of locals and stranded passengers between Jammu and Katra have started," the official said, adding that Jammu-Kolkata and Vaishno Devi-New Delhi trains are running.
(with PTI inputs)
