Death toll rises to 66 in India’s monsoon mayhem
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Men rescuing people from the flooded waters of Yamuna River after heavy monsoon rains in New Delhi on July 12, 2023.
PHOTO: AFP
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NEW DELHI - Days of relentless monsoon rains
Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India’s treacherous monsoon season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.
States near Delhi have received record rainfall so far this monsoon season that started on June 1, with Punjab and Himachal Pradesh recording 100 per cent and 70 per cent more rainfall than average respectively, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Torrential downpours have washed away vehicles, demolished buildings and torn down bridges in Himachal Pradesh, the worst affected state.
At least 33 people have lost their lives in the state – popular for its picturesque Himalayan hill stations – since Saturday, said Mr Onkar Sharma, head of the state disaster agency.
State police chief Satwant Atwal told AFP that rescue teams were mobilised to assist 40 foreign travellers – including 14 Russians and 12 Malaysians – stranded at tourist destinations alongside several hundred Indian nationals.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday via Twitter: “Due to heavy snowfall and bad weather, it has become very difficult to evacuate them. We are exploring all possible options.”
At least 12 people were killed in neighbouring Uttarakhand state, including nine on Tuesday, when debris fell on their vehicles on a national highway, officials said.
A popular pilgrimage to the state’s Kedarnath temple, home to a revered shrine of the Hindu deity Shiva, was suspended due to heavy rain.
‘Huge loss of life’
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami tweeted: “In view of continuous rain in all the areas of the state, I request the people and pilgrims avoid making unnecessary journeys.”
Incessant rain had caused much damage across Punjab state, with at least 10 killed in flash floods.
The state’s Revenue Minister Brahm Shankar Jimpa told reporters on Tuesday: “There is a huge loss of life and property, the loss is being assessed.”
At least 11 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, officials said.
Flooding in parts of New Delhi forced the city government to close all education institutions in India’s capital on Thursday and advise people to work from home, while warning that there would be water rationing after the Yamuna River broke its banks.
“Due to closure of water treatment plants, the supply of water will be affected by up to 25 per cent. That’s why water rationing will be done,” Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told reporters.
The city of 20 million people has ordered all schools, colleges and universities to be closed until Sunday and stopped non-essential government staff from coming to the office, Mr Kejriwal said. Private firms were also being advised “to implement work from home”.
He said the Yamuna’s level would peak later on Thursday, having already hit its highest levels in 45 years as a result of the unusually heavy rain north of the capital.
People living on the Yamuna’s banks waded along flooded pathways, carrying their pets as well as pots and pans, and climbed a ladder to reach the top of a bridge as water levels swelled.
Delhi, too, has recorded 112 per cent above-average rainfall so far, according to the IMD. Barriers have been set up in the residential Civil Lines area, where some Cabinet ministers – including Mr Kejriwal – live, to prevent surging river waters from inundating the streets, a city government statement said.
The monsoon brings South Asia around 80 per cent of its annual rainfall and is vital both for agriculture and the livelihoods of millions of farmers.
But it also brings destruction every year in the form of landslides and floods. Melting glaciers add to the volume of water while unregulated construction in flood-prone areas exacerbates the damage.
The rainfall is hard to forecast and varies considerably, but scientists say climate change is making the monsoon stronger and more erratic. AFP, REUTERS
