Thursday, 26 December 2024
Thursday, 26 December 2024
Delhi on orange alert after 8 deaths and airport roof collapse
The national capital recorded 228.1mm of rain, the highest since 1996 and the wettest June day since 1936, on Friday. Within three hours, 148.5mm of rain fell, turning streets into rivers and bringing down a part of the roof over the car pick-up area at Delhi airport, killing a cab driver. In Vasant Vihar, an under-construction wall collapsed, killing three labourers. Four others dead included an electrocution victim in Rohini's Prem Nagar area and three people who drowned in New Usmanpur and Shalimar Bagh. The Met department issued an orange alert – warning of extremely bad weather that can disrupt commuting, travelling and power supply – for Delhi on 29 June, Saturday, for four days.
Sikkim: Landslides close NH 10 as more rains loom
Heavy rains have triggered fresh landslides in the hills, and the National Highway 10 that connects Kalimpong and Sikkim was shut on Saturday. More heavy rain is forecast in the days to come. Sikkim has been badly battered this monsoon with days of nonstop rain in many places.
Arunachal Pradesh: Landslides cut off frontier state
Surface communication in several districts of Arunachal Pradesh was severely disrupted by landslides caused by continuous rain, it was reported on Saturday. A crucial route from Aalo in West Siang to Mechukha in Shi-Yomi was damaged, cutting off access. Landslides were reported at various locations, affecting the strategically important Aalo-Mechuka road.
Himachal Pradesh on orange alert, landslides in Shimla
Heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh caused significant disruption on Saturday, with flash floods in Solan and landslides in Shimla damaging at least eight parked vehicles. An orange alert was issued for June 30 to July 2, warning of heavy downpours and thunderstorms. Key roads in Kangra, Kullu, and Kinnaur were closed, and 76 transformers were disrupted.
Karnataka: Red alert for coast, landslides in Kodagu
The IMD on Friday issued a red alert – extremely bad weather with risk to life – for heavy rainfall in coastal Karnataka. Four of a family died in Kuttaru Madaninagar when a compound wall collapsed on their home. In Mangaluru, two autorickshaw drivers were electrocuted. Landslides in Kodagu have disrupted normal life.
Rajasthan: Rain deaths in desert state
In Rajasthan, the monsoon's onset caused widespread flooding in Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions. In Pali district, a 12-year-old boy and his 6-year-old sister died when a shop's balcony collapsed due to rain. Three others were injured in the incident. Forecasts for Rajasthan indicate further showers across Bharatpur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Kota and Jaipur.
Assam: Some respite in annual tragedy
Assam's flood misery improved a bit last week, with the water level of major rivers and their tributaries receding even as nearly 1.50 lakh people in seven districts were reeling under the deluge.
Madhya Pradesh: Jabalpur airport canopy collapses
A day before the Delhi airport tragedy, a portion of the roof of Jabalpur’s Dumna airport fell on a private vehicle. The renovated airport in Madhya Pradesh, which cost Rs 450 crore, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 10. An initial probe reportedly blamed heavy rain for the collapse.
Bihar: Five bridges collapse
In Bihar, as many as five bridges have collapsed in just about eight days. The latest was on Saturday, in Madhubani district. The 75m bridge over the Bhutahi river had been under construction for over two years
Kerala: Bad weather alert amid school closures
In Kerala, heavy rain prompted the IMD to issue a yellow – bad weather – alert for nine districts, including Ernakulam and Idukki, on Saturday till Monday. Through the week, waterlogging led to school closures in Kottayam and affected taluks like Kuttanad and Cherthala in Alappuzha district.
Haryana: Waterlogging in Gurugram
In Haryana, waterlogging in areas like Gurugram and Faridabad resulted in traffic jams on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway. The conditions are expected to worsen with more rainfall forecast, likely impacting Chandigarh and Punjab in the coming days.
Uttar Pradesh: Rains show up shoddy work
In Lucknow, heavy rain on Friday evening brought relief from the heat, lowering temperatures from a high of 40.3°C. However, the downpour led to waterlogging in areas like Gomti Nagar. Mathura, Moradabad, and Noida also experienced significant waterlogging. In Ayodhya, the rains showed up the shoddy work on the Ram temple road, or Rampath.
Gujarat: Yet another airport canopy collapse, but only cloth
Amid heavy monsoon rains, the cloth canopy at Rajkot International Airport's passenger pickup and drop-off zone collapsed on Saturday. No one was injured. The IMD on Friday issued a yellow alert for south Gujarat, forecasting rainy weather for the next five days.
