Several north Indian states are on high alert after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued red warnings for extremely heavy rainfall. The warnings cover Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, with significant disruption already reported in the hill states.
In Himachal Pradesh, flash floods and landslides have cut off key roads, including stretches of the Chandigarh–Manali highway. The Atal Tunnel and Rohtang Pass routes remain blocked. With August rainfall nearly three-quarters above average, villages in Chamba, Kullu and Kangra are facing repeated slope collapses. Authorities have ordered schools and colleges to remain shut in six districts, including Shimla and Solan, through Monday and Tuesday.
Punjab is also under red alert as rivers such as the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi are flowing above danger levels. Flooding has already inundated low-lying areas, prompting warnings for evacuation in vulnerable districts. In neighbouring Haryana, the Chief Minister’s Office is monitoring swollen rivers Ghaggar and Yamuna, and district administrations have been asked to prepare for emergency relocations.
In Uttarakhand, the Met office has predicted extremely heavy rainfall for two days, issuing a red alert for Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Haridwar on Monday, and an orange alert for several other districts on Tuesday. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed senior officials to remain on round-the-clock duty from the State Emergency Operations Centre, citing risks of landslides and waterlogging. Schools have been ordered closed in districts including Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Champawat.
Dhami has instructed divisional commissioners to expedite relief and rehabilitation measures and asked that river water levels be monitored continuously, including at night. The caution comes as casualties mount: two people, Ankit Jain of Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh and Rajni Rawat of Kotdwar in Pauri, died on Sunday when falling stones struck their two-wheeler on the Rishikesh–Gangotri highway in Tehri. In Pithoragarh, the body of a missing man, Ramesh Ram, was recovered near a seasonal stream in Kotalgaon. Another body was found in Bageshwar district where a landslide had destroyed homes; two people remain missing.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are under red “nowcast” warnings for very heavy rain and thunderstorms, raising concerns of flash floods. The IMD has also forecast above-normal rainfall through September for Delhi, Haryana and north Rajasthan, adding to the pressure on already saturated terrain.
Authorities across the affected states have advised residents to stay indoors, avoid riverbanks, and follow evacuation orders where issued.
(With inputs from PTI)
