NEW DELHI: Heavy rain continued to pummel parts of north India for the third consecutive day on Monday as the death toll rose to 28.
More landslides wreaked havoc on road connections and villages, specially in Uttarakhand and Himachal, even as the Yamuna crossed the danger mark in Delhi and the Ganga is expected to breach its danger mark in Uttarakhand by nightfall.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took stock of the worsening situation in the states, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting that heavy rain will continue in most parts of north India for at least 1-2 days more.
Here are the top developments through the day:
PM Modi takes stock of situation, calls up Himachal CM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke with ministers and officials, and took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of India.
"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," PMO said in a tweet.
Sources said PM Modi assured all help and support to the affected states.
Later in the day, the PM called Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to inquire about the devastating impact of heavy rains and floods in the state.
The CM briefed him about the extensive damage caused to life and property in the worst-hit state.
Sukhu also requested liberal assistance from the Central government to address this natural calamity.
The PM assured Sukhu of unwavering support of the Union government and promised to provide all possible assistance to help the state overcome the crisis.
39 NDRF teams deployed in 4 states
A total of 39 NDRF teams have been deployed across four north Indian states to tackle the heavy rains and floods that have been battering the region since Saturday.
While 14 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are working in Punjab, a dozen are deployed in Himachal Pradesh, eight in Uttarakhand and five in Haryana.
The teams, with about 30-35 rescuers in each, are equipped with inflatable boats, ropes, tree cutters and other essential tools to launch rescue and relief operations.
Army conducts rescue ops in Punjab, Haryana
The Army rescued 910 students and 50 others from a private university in Punjab after it was flooded with water due to heavy rains.
The civil administration in Punjab and Haryana had earlier sought help for the rescue operation from the Army, which sent the Flood Relief columns of Army's Western Command to assist the administration in the flood affected areas of the two states.
Several roads closed after landslides in Uttarakhand
The Badrinath National Highway and several other roads in Uttarakhand were blocked due to incessant rains and landslides on Monday, officials said.
The traffic on the highway was restored after a few hours while efforts are on to open other roads that are still closed, they said.
The MeT department has issued an alert for heavy rains in 11 districts of the state.
Due to incessant rains, all the major rivers, including Ganga are in spate. In Haridwar, the water level of Ganga was recorded at 292 metres at 8 am, just two metres below the danger level. According to the officials, the administration is on alert and constantly monitoring the water level of the rivers.
The MeT has forecast heavy rains across the state on Tuesday.
Himachal has not seen such heavy rains in 50 years: CM Sukhu
Himachal Pradesh has not witnessed such "widespread heavy rains" in the past 50 years and the state has suffered a loss of about Rs 3,000 crore in this monsoon season so far, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Monday.
About 17 persons have died in rain-related incidents in the state in the past two days, he said, adding that efforts are afoot to rescue 400 tourists and locals stranded at Chandertal and between Pagal and Teilgi nallah in Lahaul and Spiti.
Sukhu said that bridges were broken in Baddi, Kullu and Una, and Largi power project in Kullu was submerged in water.
"I appeal to the people to avoid travelling unnecessarily and avoid venturing out near the streams and the rivers," he said.
1/10:Himachal Pradesh worst hit due to rains, Beas river unleashes its fury
<p>Himachal Pradesh worst hit due to rains, Beas river unleashes its fury<br /><br /></p>Agencies
2/10:23 lives lost so far in Himachal
Heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has led to the unfortunate loss of 23 lives, while over 200 individuals are stranded in the Chandertal area of Lahaul-Spiti district.TNN
3/10:Damage to bridges and road connectivity
The heavy rainfall has caused significant damage, including the washing away of a 50-year-old bridge connecting Aut in Mandi district with Larji beside Sainj and Banjar.PTI
4/10:Landslides and casualties
Several incidents of landslides have been reported across the state, resulting in casualties and damage to property.TNN
5/10:Overflowing rivers and destruction
The Beas River and its tributaries are overflowing, causing significant destruction and washing away bridges and vehicles.PTI
6/10:Aur-Banjar bridge washed away
<p>A viral video shows the Aur-Banjar bridge on the Beas River being washed away due to heavy rainfall in Mandi.<br /></p>ANI
7/10:Mandi: Victoria bridge submerged
<p>The Victoria bridge is completely submerged, highlighting the extent of flooding caused by the incessant rainfall.<br /></p>ANI
8/10:Mandi: Panchvakhtra temple submerged
<p>Images and videos circulating on social media show the Panchvakhtra temple premises submerged due to heavy rainfall.</p>ANI
9/10:Landslides block national highway
<p>The national highway connecting Kullu and Manali has been severely impacted by flooded Beas river and multiple landslides.<br /><br /></p>AP
10/10:Shops swept away in Beas near Manali
<p>Many shops were swept away in the Beas near Manali due to the heavy rainfall and flooding.<br /></p>PTIHeavy rains lash 14 districts in Rajasthan, child dies in Jaipur
Intense monsoon rains brought normal life to a standstill on Monday in several parts of eastern and central Rajasthan, flooding out roads, rail tracks, low-lying residential areas and even hospitals.
More showers are expected to lash around a dozen districts on Tuesday as well.
Mount Abu in Sirohi recorded the highest of 231 mm rain during the last 24 hours.
The Met department has issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall in Alwar, Banswara, Baran, Bharatpur, Dausa, Dholpur, Dungarpur, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Sirohi, and Udaipur on Monday and in Baran, Bundi, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Kota, Pratapgarh and Sawai Madhopur on Tuesday.
The IMD uses four colour codes for weather warnings - green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action).
Saddened by loss of lives due to heavy rain: Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said he was saddened by the loss of lives due to heavy rain and landslides in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other states in north India and urged all party workers to help in the relief measures.
He also expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and hoped for a speedy recovery of the injured.
"The news of loss of lives due to heavy rains and landslides in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other north Indian states is extremely sad. I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of all those injured," Gandhi said on Twitter.
(With inputs from agencies)
