A series of severe rain-related incidents across northern India has led to significant disruptions, with fatalities reported in Haryana, Nagaland, and Maharashtra. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings of continued heavy rainfall in several states.
Tragic Incident in Haryana
In Panchkula, Haryana, three children tragically lost their lives when a wall at a brick kiln collapsed during heavy rains. The victims—a seven-year-old girl, a five-year-old boy, and a two-and-a-half-year-old boy—were taking shelter near the kiln when the wall fell. Their parents work at the kiln, and the children were playing nearby when the incident occurred. Emergency services rushed to the scene but were unable to save the children.
Disruptions Across Northern States
The IMD has warned of “heavy to very heavy rainfall” at isolated locations in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with “heavy rainfall” expected in parts of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and other regions on Thursday.
Delhi and the National Capital Region faced severe waterlogging, leading to traffic jams across multiple districts including South, Central, North, and New Delhi, as well as in Noida and Gurugram. The waterlogging on the Delhi-Jaipur highway further disrupted travel. The IMD has issued a “yellow” alert for Delhi, forecasting deteriorating weather conditions.
In Nagaland’s Chumoukedima district, one person was killed, and several are reported missing after heavy rains caused significant damage to homes and National Highway-29. A stretch of NH-29, crucial for connecting Kohima and Dimapur, has been completely washed away.
Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh
In Maharashtra’s Marathwada region, torrential rains over the past three days have resulted in ten deaths and extensive crop damage. Nearly 11.67 lakh hectares of farmland in seven districts have been affected. The downpour has also led to the death of 523 animals and damage to 1,126 houses.
Himachal Pradesh has seen continuous rainfall, resulting in the closure of 119 roads, including two national highways. The Shimla weather office has warned of a low to moderate flash flood risk in six districts and issued a ‘yellow’ alert for heavy rains, thunderstorms, and lightning. Kasauli, Dharamshala, and other areas have recorded substantial rainfall, leading to significant disruptions.
Rajasthan and Telangana
In Rajasthan, heavy rains have impacted Jodhpur, Sirohi, and Udaipur districts. Jodhpur city reported 90.6 mm of rainfall, while Sirohi recorded 70 mm. The Jaipur meteorological centre anticipates continued active monsoon conditions in eastern Rajasthan for the next several days.
In Telangana, relief measures have been intensified in Khammam and other flood-affected areas. The government has issued its first flood warning for Bhadrachalam, a significant temple town. Over the past three days, heavy rains have claimed 16 lives in Telangana.
IMD Forecast
The IMD’s latest bulletin indicates widespread rainfall across several states including Gujarat, Konkan, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Rainfall was also observed in Uttarakhand, Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, Madhya Maharashtra, and coastal Karnataka, with isolated rainfall reported in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan, Haryana-Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Marathwada, interior Karnataka, Kerala, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Authorities across the affected regions are working to manage the crisis, with ongoing assessments and relief efforts to support those impacted by the relentless rains.
