Highlights:
- India and Nepal witness nature’s wrath in the form of torrential rains, floods, landslides, inundated villages, and demolished crops
- Kedarnath, Nainital, and Nepal were immersed in river waters and hit by landslides claiming more than 150 lives and causing wreckage to public and private properties.
- Indian Meteorological Department predicts heavy downpours in the coming days and urges people to stay indoors.
Record shattering rains have hit several parts of India and Nepal claiming the lives of over 150 people as reported by the Disaster Management team. Both the states experienced heavy rainfall over the weekend that subsequently led to rivers overflowing, landslides, villages inundated, bridges and houses crumbling down, and loss of lives.
Home Ministry of Nepal confirmed the death of 77 people in floods and landslides following torrential rains starting Monday. Furthermore, around 22 people were injured and 26 went missing. Flooding mainly befell in the regions along Western Nepal bordering the neighboring state of Uttarakhand. Aerial pictures and videos portray villages in the affected regions partly immersed in water.
Uttarakhand CM, Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the huge loss of crops owing to floods. “The locals are facing plenty of problems,the roads are deluged, bridges have been washed away”, he added.
Senior police official, Ashok Kumar communicate that in Uttarakhand, Nainital was the hardest-hit area with the maximum fatality. Evacuation operations were carried out for at least 3,000 people at the Sarada river which overflowed on Monday.
Also Read, Uttarakhand Rainfalls: 16 Dead Amid Heavy Rains, Roads & Houses Washed Away
Gujrat’s disaster management minister, Rajendra Trivedi said that almost 100 pilgrims were visiting the state of Uttarakhand when the floods were unleashed. Six out of the 100 were stranded in Kedarnath, one of the primary religious places. Attempts were made to evict the victims from the region with the help of helicopters, however, the unfavourable weather conditions hindered the rescue operations, added Trivedi. The water levels began receding by Wednesday which in turn facilitated the movement of pilgrims to safe shelters.
Temporary suspension of the pilgrimage has been ordered and it shall resume once rainfall subsides in the region. The Kumaon region of Uttarakhand where Nainital is situated recorded over 340 mm and 400 mm of rainfall in two observatories of the area. This, according to the Indian Meteorological Department, sets the record of the highest rainfall ever received in the region over 24 hours.
Though the Himalayan state is vulnerable to flooding and landslides, experts opinionate that their frequency is increasing due to the unpredictability of rains and ablation of the glacial ice cover. They also hold construction practices in hydroelectric dams and deforestation accountable for the same. Over 200 people died in February when flash floods wiped out a hydroelectric dam.
Concurrently in Kerela, more than 200 families are residing in 26 evacuation camps across the state. More than 100 tourists were compelled to stay in a resort in Ramgarh after surplus water in the Kosi river engulfed adjoining areas. The Indian Meteorological Department forecasts heavy rainfall to continue in the regions and people are urged to stay indoors.
