In the last two days, intense rainfall across northern and northwestern India has led to the deaths of at least 32 people. These regions are experiencing landslides, water logging, traffic disruptions, flooding and several house collapses.
Here’s a look at the impact across the states:
• Rajasthan bore the brunt of the calamity, with 17 fatalities recorded over August 10 and 11.
• In Haryana, a dam breach resulted in the flooding of multiple villages.
• In Punjab, nine lives were lost, including eight members of a single family, when their vehicle was swept away by a surging seasonal rivulet in Hoshiarpur.
• Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir had to be suspended.
• In Himachal Pradesh three girls lost their lives and one person went missing due to landslides and flash floods that have shut down more than 280 roads. Authorities reported that 458 power lines and 48 water supply projects were also impacted.
• In Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun district, heavy rains caused the roof of a house to collapse in the Koch area, killing a woman and her seven-year-old son.
• In Delhi’s Rohini Sector 20, a seven-year-old boy drowned in a waterlogged park as heavy downpours affected central, southern, southwestern, and eastern parts of the city, causing severe waterlogging and traffic congestion.
On Sunday evening, August 11, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported “exceptionally heavy rainfall” in Karauli, Rajasthan (38 cm), along with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated locations in Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Punjab, Haryana, and Bihar.
With 32 lives lost, countless homes destroyed, and critical roads and power supplies disrupted, the country has been left grappling with the aftermath of these relentless rains. As communities mourn their losses, these tragedies serve as a reminder of the urgent need for improved infrastructure and disaster preparedness in the country.
